I Just Want To Eat! 9/22/21 I Just Want To Eat! 9/22/21

Steak frites at Le Relais de Venise in NYC

Being back at Le Relais de Venise was a great feeling: this place, although less crowded than usual, survived, still serving their delicious steak frites with a secret sauce that kept its mystery after more than 60 years. It’s French but refers to Venice in its name and decor; well, there is a good explanation for this: in 1959, a French winemaker, Paul Gineste de Saurs, decided to open a restaurant where he would showcase the family wine, Le Chateau de Saurs. He bought a restaurant in Paris that was…Italian! He had no experience in the restaurant business and decided to keep the place as is and only propose one menu option: the steak frites. Bold at that time and still today as, if you are only serving one dish, you better execute it well. I believe they still do. And by the way, they still offer their house wine prefixed with the restaurant name (I instead went for a Pinot Noir from Burgundy - 2018).

Glass of Pinot Noir from Burgundy at Le Relais de Venise in NYC

I love the principle: they just ask you how you want your steak: rare, medium or well done. There is no medium-rare for instance, and they will write the initial of the temperature on the paper table cloth. They then bring their bread and salad topped with walnuts.

Walnut salad at Le Relais de Venise in NYC

Once you finish your salad, you get the steak frites, a sirloin cooked to perfection, smothered with this delicious sauce that I always ask to also put on these thin and crispy fries that I love so much. But wait! This is the first serving: once you are done, they come with more!!!

And if you are vegetarian, no worries: they have a cheese plate (instead of the temperature of the steak, they will put a V on the tablecloth). They were not able to tell us what all the cheeses were, but there was definitely a Camembert, a goat and a blue cheese. By the way, there were also walnuts in the middle of the cheese, so I am wondering if they are also growing walnut trees on top of making wine! Another salad came, larger (I was not sure it it was a mistake). Interestingly, it came with fries with that sauce on part of the plate. Does that mean that the sauce is vegetarian ? I doubt it.

Cheese plate at Le Relais de Venise in NYC

French fries and secrete sauce at Le Relais de Venise in NYC

With the vegetarian meal came a dessert as the minimum per person is $33.95 that is the cost of the steak frites. I admit that it is always difficult to pick just one, as they have lots of mouth watering options. We finally went for their vacherin, a signature dessert that is a must have. This impressive tower that I am still surprised can stand straight, is made with a fantastic meringue that is crunchy on the outside and gooey inside. There is first a meringue, then a scoop of vanilla ice cream, another meringue, a scoop of praline ice cream, a meringue, some whipped cream, the whole thing topped with a dark chocolate sauce. First of all, I was happy to have praline ice cream because it is not something I find often here (I use to buy it at the supermarket when living in France and indulge…quite often…). Then, it is not too sweet, the ice cream balancing the sweetness of the meringue and chocolate sauce.

This was a great meal, as usual. Le Relais de Venise has a great concept and they are doing very well with the one thing they are known for, with a steak frites that is delicious and better than what some of more known restaurants offer.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Le Relais de Venise - 590 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10022

I Just Want To Eat! 9/20/21 I Just Want To Eat! 9/20/21

Thai Villa in NYC, NY

It has been a while since we had Thai food in the city and we kind of were craving it. So we decided to find a place for a Saturday lunch and stumbled upon Thai Villa, near Union Square. I did not expect to find such place. Not only is the decor incredible (the dining room is on two floors, the second being more like a mezzanine that they created, taking advantage of the very high ceilings), with its lamps that make you feel you just entered a dream that started with the serenity of the…

Here is what we had:

Of course, I ordered my go to Thai drink, a Thai iced tea that was good (I think it happened only once that I had a so so one).

Then there were the dumplings I mentioned before. They are called Pak Mor Puk and are vegetable crepe dumplings filled with chive, jicama, black mushrooms, cabbage, bamboo shoots, and served with a sweet soy sauce. I am always a bit wary with vegetable dumplings as, sometimes, the shell is too thick and the filling one dimensional, overpowered by one ingredient. Of course, the blue color is mesmerizing, but the taste was great: the crepe was thin and slightly sticky, and the filling had lots of flavors.

Pak Mor Puk or vegetable crepe dumpling at Thai Villa in NYC, NY

For her main, Jodi got the Pad se-ew that was pretty good, although quite classic.

On my side, I hesitated quite a bit as I always have the Massaman Curry when having Thai food, loving this dish. But their extensive menu has so many mouth watering choices that I finally decided to try something different and ordered their Muk Koong Kai Kem that is sautéed squid and shrimp (there was lots of it) with a duck egg yolk. The presentation was beautiful, the ingredients sitting on a crispy shell similar to these taco shells you get when having a taco salad. It was a bit spicy with sweet and savory tones, and was served with rice that kind of has a soothing effect.

Muk Koong Kai Kem or sauteed squid and shrimp at Thai Villa in NYC, NY

So, overall, we had a great meal at Thai Villa: I cannot wait to go back for dinner!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Thai Villa - 5 East 19th street, New York, New York, 10003

I Just Want To Eat! 9/17/21 I Just Want To Eat! 9/17/21

Brunch at La Palapa in NYC

It’s been a very long time since we have gone to La Palapa, a Mexican restaurant located in the East Village. In fact, the last time we went was when our friends Jeannine, Brett and their kids were in New York, for a memorable dinner. Brunch was really what we wanted to get there as their French toast was always on top of our list: eggy, slightly crunchy…

So here we were, first to arrive right after they opened on a Saturday. The place was all for us, that is not something I would complain about today…

We started our meal with their guacamole, that we ordered not spicy. It was good, freshly made, even if the texture looked like they used a blender but just a bit so there would not be chunks of avocado in it.

We then got their huevos rancheros, a popular brunch dish that we love. They were good, smothered in cheese and crema, and bathed in a salsa verde.

Last was of course the French toast aka Pan Frances Torrejas. I was really looking forward to it. They were good, but not as good as it used to be: the bread that was eggy was smothered with sauce and fruit overpowering a bit the dish. I would have known, I would have asked them to put all of that on the side.

Pan Frances Torrejas or French toast at La Palapa in NYC

Still, we were happy to go back to La Palapa. That’s the type of places I would go back without hesitation.

Enjoy (I did)!

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La Palapa - 77 Saint Marks Place, New York, New York 10003

I Just Want To Eat! 9/15/21 I Just Want To Eat! 9/15/21

Stewart’s Root Beer in Rahway, NJ

Root beer has a very long history, that even started at the time when native Americans were making sassafras root beverages for medicinal purposes. It was even called at some point root tea, but the first pharmacist to successfully market a root beer brand, Charles Elmer Hires, decided to call it root beer instead of root tea to appeal to coal miners. It was 150 years ago approximately. There are many brands out there with different price points, and my…

I do not remember the first time I tried root beer. It was in the US for sure, as this is not a drink commonly found in Europe, and it is not uncommon to have tourists think that this is a beer and not a soda…I typically have root beer with pizza but this time, at Stewart’s, I decided to try a float, this place being known for it, their first root beer stand opening in 1924.

Root beer float at Stewart’s Root Beer in Rahway, NJ

A root beer float is made by adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream to root beer. It was good, but I admit that it is not something that wows me. Still, decadent and refreshing, perfect with the double cheeseburger and French fries I got with my meal. I liked my double cheeseburger: the patties were well cooked, not dry, with a nice char, and with a slice of cheese in between and one on top. Of course, I had to have ketchup and mayonnaise. For $6.30, this was a good deal.

The wavy fries were also quite good: crispy on the outside and cooked all the way through. I just wished they had onion rings to make a perfect combination, but they ran out that day.
You may wonder what Jodi had: it was a grilled cheese that I totally forgot to photograph! I tasted it though and it was good…for a grilled cheese!

Double cheeseburger at Stewart’s Root Beer in Rahway, NJ

French fries at Stewart’s Root Beer in Rahway, NJ

I had a great lunch at Stewart’s: not only the food was good and cheap, but I also liked the atmosphere that is classic Americana. People were pulling up with their car and eating in it, the food trays conveniently hung to their door like you would see in old movies. We did not eat in the car but at one of the tables outside. Still, I loved it.

Enjoy (I did)!
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Stewart’s Root Beer- 347 Jaques Avenue, Rahway, NJ 07065

I Just Want To Eat! 9/14/21 I Just Want To Eat! 9/14/21

Branzino in Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia has great Italian restaurants, so, for our last day there, we decided to go to Branzino, in Rittenhouse Square, a place that got its name from their specialty dish: a whole branzino. Well, I can already tell you that it is not what I ate…

This is a big place, with an old feel, and an outdoor patio that would have been perfect if it did not start to rain. In fact, the people eating outside…

This is a big place, with an old feel, and an outdoor patio that would have been perfect if it did not start to rain. In fact, the people eating outside had to quickly move their belongings and dishes inside as it started pouring for several minutes.

Branzino is a BYOB restaurant and they seem to be really sorry that we did not know, even proposing to fetch a bottle for us at a nearby wine store.

Jodi, who rarely orders an appetizer, got the insalata verde, a salad made with lettuce, arugula, frisée and cherry tomatoes that was dressed with a buttermilk vinaigrette. On my side, I went for the char grilled octopus served with peperonata. The octopus was delicious: tender with a nice char on the outside. They definitely know how to cook it.

Insalata verde at Branzino in Philadelphia, PA

Grilled octopus at Branzino in Philadelphia, PA

For the main, Jodi chose their macherroni alla chitarra cacio e pepe. Great dish with not too much pepper at least (I hate when there is so much pepper that, not only it overpowers the entire dish, but it also makes you cough).

Macherroni alla chitarra at Branzino in Philadelphia, PA

On my side, I did not hesitate: I got their squid ink tonnarelli with smoked calamari ragu and crab puttanesca. I should mention that all their pasta is homemade. I loved it: well, I love squid ink pasta so it was a good start. But the sauce, that was light without being unnoticed was perfect, letting the calamari and crab shine. And there was a nice amount of seafood, especially the crab.

Squid ink tonnarelli at Branzino in Philadelphia, PA

For dessert, we hesitated a bit, the tiramisu being a natural choice, but we finally ordered the Albanian Three-Milk Cake. It was close to a tres leche, made with a sponge cake, espresso infused milk and caramel on top. Good, but not as good.

Albanian three milk cake at Branzino in Philadelphia, PA

So, overall, we had a good meal at Branzino. I would certainly go back and this time try their fish…or not: their squid ink pasta was delicious and I might not resist, this time again…

Enjoy (I did)!

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Branzino - 261 S 17th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103

I Just Want To Eat! 9/13/21 I Just Want To Eat! 9/13/21

Lunch at Green Eggs Café in Philadelphia

It’s always nice to see that people are excited to give you a good address when traveling to a city. I had no idea what Green Eggs Café was until one of my coworkers mentioned it, although we were wondering with Jodi if it was not a place we went to many years ago, before the blog.
So we decided to go for lunch. It was a weekday, so we easily got a table, although I admit that it was quite busy, with lots of tables enjoying their cocktails, the “pop” made when opening bottles of Prosecco being heard all along during our lunch at a cadence that I found incredible…So, yes, people enjoy this place for their boozy meal (we just had a fresh squeezed orange juice and a root beer), but also for their crazy pancakes and variety of French toast. Looking around, they were fantastic: big, colorful and mouth watering. We decided to try their crème brûlée French toast that is made with challah bread dipped in vanilla custard and topped with blueberries, strawberries, berry compote, vanilla anglaise, chantilly and a side of maple syrup. The presentation was amazing and they were not cheap on the quantity except of course for the maple syrup (there is never enough). The French toast itself was very good, eggy, but, besides the vanilla custard, it had nothing to do with a creme brûlée, as I was expecting that caramelized sugar so characteristic to this dessert.. Still, it was delicious and with all these fruits, gave us the feeling that a serving of fruit would eliminate any guilt for eating this mountain of deliciousness.

Creme brûlée French toast at Green Eggs Café in Philadelphia

We also tried their guacamole and pepper Benedict. We got them with cheddar hash browns that I admit were a bit disappointing, being a bit dry. Also, I do not know if it is because of the other dish, but the quantity looked small…still, it was good, but small…

Guacamole and pepper Benedict at Green Eggs Café in Philadelphia

So, overall, this is a great place to know for lunch / brunch. These French toasts and pancakes are decadent and spectacular. Definitely, Green Eggs Café is the kind of spot I would go back to!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Green Eggs Café - 212 S 13th street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107

I Just Want To Eat! 9/10/21 I Just Want To Eat! 9/10/21

Beard Papa on the Upper West Side

I do not understand why Beard Papa, a French style bakery that started in Japan in 1999 that specializes in cream puffs or choux à la crème is not more popular. We went back after some time, not going often to the Upper West Side (they have opened other locations since the last time we went so I will have to check them out), and the place was still there, but remodeled, smaller, with the beaded man they…

Beard Papa in NYC, NY

The first time was right before brunch and, as I was salivating with envy, Jodi gave up on restraining me to have one minutes from eating a meal…It was a churro cream puff that was amazing: the choux itself is very good. Slightly crunchy, it is cooked to perfection and filled with an amazing vanilla custard that they put when you order, ensuring that the chou would not be soggy. The icing was sweet with hints of cinnamon. Superb!

The second time, I got their classic that is the basic cream puff with vanilla custard in it and a Oreo Cookie Crumble Eclair chou that was topped with… Oreo cookie. After I took my photo, we started eating and the cream was oozing from these pieces of deliciousness. And you know when you are at the end and you are holding a small piece carefully so the cream would not go all over? Well, that is when the last piece of the classic cream puff fell on the floor, with me standing next to it in disbelief and quietly weeping…

Classic cream puff at Beard Papa in NYC, NY

Oreo cookie crumble eclair at Beard Papa in NYC, NY

These cream puffs are so good. In a way, I am glad that Beard Papa is not in my neighborhood because I would go there all the time! This is worth a visit!

Enjoy (I really did)!

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Beard Papa - 2167 Broadway, New York, NY 10024

I Just Want To Eat! 9/8/21 I Just Want To Eat! 9/8/21

Persian dinner at Persepolis on the Upper East Side, NYC

It has been years since we went to Persepolis, a restaurant located on the Upper East Side that serves Persian cuisine. When I met Jodi,I this was her destination for her birthday and this is how I got to try for the first time this kind of cuisine. So, as we were visiting our old neighborhood, we decided to stop by. It did not change much if not for all the things they did for COVID: from the outdoor seating to the plexiglass…

The menu is more or less the same, but slightly smaller, their website not being up to date (yes, we check the menu before going to. restaurant and most of the time we know what we will order, so we only listen to the specials out of courtesy…). In a lot of ways, you find dishes that seem familiar to what you would get in Middle Eastern or Mediterranean restaurants, like the yogurt and cucumber or the eggplant Mirza that is an eggplant puree made with mint, tomato, garlic and yogurt, similar in a way (just in a way) not as smokey, and perfect with their Persian bread) to babaganouj.

Yogurt and cucumber at Persepolis in NYC, NY

Or the kebabs: their most famous being the kubideh, a skewer made with either chicken or beef. I went for the latter that was made with marinated ground aged sirloin. It came with a roasted tomato and grilled onion, as well as some rice called polo baghali that is basmati rice with dill and fava beans. In fact you have your choice of rice and they propose plenty of interesting combinations like the one with sour cherries that Jodi loves. What is sure is that the rice is not just a side but definitely part of the dish. It was not dry at all, and was perfect with or without the yogurt with cucumber I mentioned before. And that kubideh: also not dry, the meat had this nice flavor from the marinade they use. I definitely recommend it!

On her side, as we had lunch and a treat earlier that day, Jodi ordered the Greek salad.

I should mention that as I was eating I was sipping some arak, an anise alcohol similar to ouzo or anisette, that becomes cloudy when you put water or ice in it.

Last was dessert that we ate with some Persian tea that is, like in India, called chai. we ordered their Persian cotton candy (pashmak) that was not too sweet and flakey, as well as their baklava that was perfect, not dry at all and buttery. They split the two in two different dishes as we were sharing, and added, complimentary, some ice cream made with cherry syrup called Fahludeh.
Overall, this was a very good dinner. The food at Persepolis is delicious and with reasonable prices. This is definitely a place I recommend.

Enjoy (I did)!

if you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Persepolis - 1407 2nd Avenue, New York, New York 10021

I Just Want To Eat! 9/5/21 I Just Want To Eat! 9/5/21

Amazing dinner at Vetri in Philadelphia

It was not the first time we were dining at Vetri in Philadelphia: we went two or three times already, and decided to go back for our wedding anniversary. This place is incredible and we were glad to see that they were still there. We learned, talking to our waiter, that the restaurant closed for several months and the owners decided to pay for the medical coverage of their employees until business could restart. This is a nice gesture that certainly brought gratitude and loyalty.
The restaurant is, like many in Philadelphia, in a townhouse, giving the impression you are dining at a friend ‘s home except that the bill comes at the end. Spread over two floors, it is mostly quiet, if it was not for a table of four who were talking about having healthy food while dining there! Not that the food at Vetri is unhealthy, but if you are only eating salads, this is not the place for you! But if you are vegetarian, they do have great dishes so you do not feel left out.

Here is what we had:

As a welcome drink, they brought us their take on a Spritz as well as an amuse: a vegetarian tart.
After trying a couple of wines, I decided to accompany my drink with a glass of Brunello de Montalcino, a red wine from Tuscany that was well balanced, not acidic at all.

Glass of Brunello de Montalcino at Vetri in Philadelphia

Then, the amuse was a vegetable tart (they knew Jodi is vegetarian).

We had a four course meal. For the appetizer, Jodi got their sweet onion crepe with truffle and parmesan fondue. This is an interesting dish that started as a sort of take on a French onion soup, but deconstructed. It has been on the menu for years and each time we go, she orders it. Imagine: to caramelize the onions, it takes them more than 10 hours!!!

Sweet onion crepe at Vetri in Philadelphia

On my side, after long hesitation, I decided to try their barbecued quail. It is not that often that you find quail on a menu and this is not that easy to cook because it can become dry quickly. Well, at Vetri, they surely know how to make quail. It was served with stone fruits such as peach and prune and topped with mustard seeds, giving a nice acidity and some freshness to the dish.

Barbecued quail at Vetri in Philadelphia

Then came the pasta dish. Jodi had tagliolini with a Morel mushroom ragu that was earthy and homey, while I had spaghetti alla chitarra with bone marrow and frutti di mare, a surf and turf in disguise, where everything was perfect: from the pasta was was well cooked (as were the tagliolini), to the delicious sauce that light enough to let the seafood shine. I could have eaten more of it for sure!

Tagliolini with mushroom rage at Vetri in Philadelphia

Spaghetti alle chitarra frutti di mare at Vetri in Philadelphia

For the secondi, jodi had the Summer squash crostata with buttermilk ricotta and fig vincotto, vincotto being a sort of vinegar. The presentation was beautiful with all the colors and what you might be able to see on the photo is the fact that this was half a tart.

Summer Squash crostata at Vetri in Philadelphia

On my side, I opted for the whole roasted fluke that was served with sweet Summer beans that were huge and agretti, that are needle shaped leaves that taste somewhat like spinach. This was a superb dish with the fish being perfectly cooked and flakey.

Whole roasted fluke at Vetri in Philadelphia

They then brought us some coconut sorbet with watermelon as a palate cleanser.

Palate cleanser at Vetri in Philadelphia

And then we had dessert. It was a black Forrest tiramisu for Jodi and a molten pistachio cake. I admit that I did not like the black Forrest tiramisu: I thought that the tiramisu was nowhere to be found there. However, the pistachio cake was amazing: buttery, the center was melted and oozed as I cut the cake. Even Jodi who does not like pistachio love it!

Black Forest Tiramisu at Vetri in Philadelphia

Molten pistachio cake at Vetri in Philadelphia

We finish the meal with some cookies they brought us (the macaroons were filled with hazelnut that is one of my favorites).

Needless to say that we appreciated the walk back to our hotel. Yes, quantities might look small but after a meal like this, you feel full and satisfied. One more time Vetri did not disappoint and it will not be the last time they will see us there!

Enjoy (we really did

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Vetri - 1312 Spruce street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

I Just Want To Eat! 9/4/21 I Just Want To Eat! 9/4/21

The battle of the donuts in Philadelphia

Ah, donuts! Who does not love this fried dough that can be a yeast or cake donut, with many combinations that show the inventiveness of their creator. From the day I set foot in this country, I loved them, remembering the six Krispy Kreme donuts I used to have for breakfast in the hotel I stayed in at that time, to the discovery of the fancier donuts the Doughnut Plant or Doughnut Project crafted. I still love a simple glazed donut from a street cart though, unless day old of course that never happened to me. Not that I never had donuts before if we consider that beignets are their French relatives. When I was a kid, I remember eating a “chichi” that was similar to a sugar twist or beignets filled with jam (my favorite was strawberry) or Nutella (of course).
So, going to Philadelphia, there were two spots we needed to go back to: Beiler’s in the Reading Terminal Market and Federal Donuts.

Beiler’s is quite known and not just for being the first Amish place for that market. Their donuts, that all cost the same price ($1.45) are simply delicious: the yeast dough is very light and slightly crispy. They also propose a wide selection that can be overwhelming like Nutella filled, chocolate with coconut icing, caramel cake, etc. We tried several: of course, we had to get the coconut donut filled with cream that is Jodi’s favorite.
My least favorite was the glazed cake, preferring the yeast donuts for the reasons I mentioned before. Between the old fashioned and the glazed (that I admit was small) to the French cruller, I was in even. Their Boston cream that does not look good in the photo because the icing was stuck in the bag was great: the sweetness of the dark chocolate frosting was balanced by the vanilla custard that was inside. I was in heaven!

Old fashioned at Beiler’s donuts in Philly

Glazed donut at Beiler’s donuts in Philly

Coconut donut at Beiler’s donuts in Philly

French cruller at Beiler’s donuts in Philly

Boston cream at Beiler’s donuts in Philly

Glazed cake at Beiler’s donuts in Philly

Another place we went for donuts was Federal Donuts. We already went back in 2017, so I was looking forward to see if that place, that is also known apparently for fried chicken, had new additions, still remembering the churro donut we had that time that was awesome.

It was in a different area, in the basement of a building, a bit dark but we an old feel that I really liked. They offer cake donuts that are really like a fusion between desserts and a donut. The banana pudding was definitely better than the cannoli, and I really liked the caphe con leche (yes, caphe, not cafe). The last we tried was the old fashioned that I found was better than the glazed cake from Beiler’s.

Caphe con leche donut at Federal Donuts in Philly

Banana pudding at Federal Donuts in Philly

Old fashioned at Federal Donuts in Philly

Overall, Federal Donuts is good, but, when eating several donuts, the cake donuts start to be boring (ok, I tried 4, so I might be pushing it), while I could have 10 donuts from Beiler’s that I find very addictive. So, if you ask me, Beiler’s beats Federal Donuts and if you go to Philadelphia and have only one shot at a donut place, a visit to the Reading Terminal Market is the way to go.

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Beiler’s -

3900 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Federal Donuts -

3428 Sansom St, Philadelphia, PA 19104

I Just Want To Eat! 9/3/21 I Just Want To Eat! 9/3/21

Cheesesteak at Carmen’s Famous Hoagie in Philly

If you are in Philadelphia and are non vegetarian, there is one thing that you must have: a Philly cheesesteak. This sandwich made with meat, cheese (including cream cheese) and all sorts of things from onions to mushrooms without forgetting peppers, in a soft Italian bread is to die for. There are variations, so if you do not like beef, you can have chicken. If you are vegetarian, you can get some impossible meat (although they probably use the same grill to cook it).
So, I had to have one, but, as Jodi is vegetarian, we decided not to go to Geno’s or Pat’s but instead to Carmen’s Famous Italian Hoagie at the Reading Terminal Market so she had plenty of choices for lunch.
The last time we went, it was located in a different area. So we queued up as there was a line, but I admit that they were quite efficient to make it move. At some point, we could also see them putting the thinly sliced frozen meat on the grill, shredding it and mixing it with various toppings as you can see in this video.

After I ordered (the friendly cashier who was probably an owner asked me where I was from and made a joke about me not ordering French fries), they gave me a game card that they will call when my sandwich would be ready.

Card at Carmen’s Famous Hoagie in Philly

Five minutes later, we were trying to find a seat in a market that was surprisingly packed. After we sat, I unwrapped the sandwich as if it was a precious heirloom. I immediately found that there seemed to be more bread than meat. It was good, but that imbalance bread/meat was a bit disappointing. I would have known, I would have ordered it with an additional portion of meat!

Still, my craving was satisfied. I stand by my previous post: Carmen’s Famous Italian Hoagie is good, but not as good as others.

Enjoy (I still did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!
Carmen’s Famous Italian Hoagie - 51 N 12th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Jean-Philippe Gerbi 9/2/21 Jean-Philippe Gerbi 9/2/21

Vedge in Philadelphia, PA

On our first day to Philadelphia, I wanted to surprise Jodi by making a reservation at Vedge, a vegan restaurant where Chefs Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby crafted a plant based menu that, even for a non-vegetarian, is mouth watering. I love this kind of place: located in a townhouse, you get the impression you are dining at a friend’s place, except for the bill that comes at the end…The service was very good, courteous and diligent as you would expect in a place like this, and I was surprised by the popularity of this restaurant that was packed for a Wednesday evening. The menu was split in three sections: the Vedge bar (small plates), the grille (I guess some elements of each item is cooked on their grill) and the dirt list. Of course, at the end of dessert, not displayed at that time, maybe so diners would not pace themselves to make sure they could get one.

The bar is interesting too: they have a bunch of drinks with interesting names like the “How did you get this number” that is the cocktail I ordered, made with rye, chartreuse, sherry and cynar (nice but strong), or “who’s Brian?”, that is the mocktail made with hibiscus, chamomile, cardamom and citrus that Jodi ordered.

“Who’s Brian” cocktail at Vedge in Philadelphia, PA

“How did you get this number” cocktail at Vedge in Philadelphia, PA

We decided to start with three small plates, not being able to choose between few of them. The first one was the tomato tartare that was served with a nori (seaweed) toast and grilled sweet baby gem lettuce that were on top of a sauce that I believe was made with avocado. It looked beautiful and was quite refreshing, the highlight of the dish being the grilled lettuce in fact. The tartare itself could have been more flavorful, maybe with some herbs and acidity. Still, it was a surprising dish.

Tomato tartare at Vedge in Philadelphia, PA

The second dish was stuffed avocado. Made with almond romesco, pickled cauliflower, crispy rice and black salt. This was superb! Flavorful, I loved the pairing of the avocado and pickled cauliflower: the creaminess of the avocado countering the acidity of the pickled cauliflower.

Stuffed avocado at Vedge in Philadelphia, PA

The last appetizer was the rutabaga fondue. It was served with a pretzel bread and some pickled vegetables. I was surprised about the creaminess of the rutabaga that was delicious with either bread or vegetables. Know in fact that if you are gluten free, they can replace the pretzel bread by veggies.

Rutabaga fondue at Vedge in Philadelphia, PA

For the entrees, Jodi went for their Ssamjang grilled tofu that was pretty good, the tofu, that I believe was store bought, was nicely caramelized and had a delicious char from the grill. It was definitely not bland.

Ssamjang grilled tofu at Vedge in Philadelphia, PA

I tried the tofu after my own dish, that I could not not try and was very spicy. So, I cannot even tell if the tofu was spicy or not! Jodi did the same. That dish was the Dan Dan Noodles that is my go to choice when going to Hao Noodle in New York City. I was curious to see how they would make it without pork and was not surprised to see that they used mushroom. But, besides the name, spiciness and noodles, the similarities with the original stopped there. It was made with sesame, red chili and black vinegar glazed trumpet mushrooms. Creamy, it was very spicy, with some earthiness from the mushrooms. Although my mouth was on fire, I kept going at it! Definitely a good interpretation of a wonderful Chinese specialty.

Dan Dan Noodles at Vedge in Philadelphia, PA

Last was dessert that we accompanied with a peppermint tea.

Peppermint tea at Vedge in Philadelphia, PA

There were few choices that made us hesitate, but we finally settled for the chocolate pot de creme that was topped with white chocolate and a white chocolate bark, as well as candied clementine. What an amazing dessert! Not too sweet, it was surprisingly light, although not as airy as a chocolate mousse, and still very chocolatey. The white chocolate bark had this saltiness that enhanced the taste of the chocolate. I could not even believe this was vegan!

Chocolate pot de creme at Vedge in Philadelphia, PA

This was a great way to end an amazing meal. Vedge is quite a unique experience that can satisfy not just vegans and vegetarians, but also non vegetarians. The menu, that does not try to mimic meat (that is probably key), is mouth watering and the dishes not only tasty but also beautifully presented. I definitely recommend it!

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Vedge - 1221 Locust street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

I Just Want To Eat! 9/1/21 I Just Want To Eat! 9/1/21

Estiatorio Milos in Midtown, NYC

I admit that I have mixed feelings about Estiatorio Milos aka Milos, a Greek restaurant located Midtown and at Hudson Yards. Fancy and pricey, is how I would describe it and it might be better to get their lunch menu that offers a good deal for $39, with an appetizer, entree and dessert, unless you have a big appetite…

Don’t get me wrong: the food is good, but overpriced for what you get. They have lobster for instance. When I went for dinner, it was $59 a pound with the lobster weighting 2 to 2.5 lb. if you want it with spaghetti, you have to pay an additional $20. Considering you will pay more than $120 already, they cannot throw some pasta that they are probably not event making there???

So, lunch prix-fixe, yes; dinner, no! Here is anyway what I tried:

Dinner:

Of course, my favorite Greek drink of choice is ouzo, that I prefer with water, giving to that drink a cloudy color that always remind me a story my Dad told me from when he was a kid: with his brothers, they wanted to try anisette that is similar to ouzo (hopefully, I am not offending anyone). They thought that they would replace the alcohol with water so my grandparents would not know, but the kids did not know that by pouring water in that drink it would turn cloudy…As you can guess, it did not go very well!

Ouzo at Estiatorio Milos in Midtown, NYC

Ouzo in water at Estiatorio Milos in Midtown, NYC

One of the dishes I like there is the Milos special that is a fried zucchini and eggplant tower, served with kefalograviera cheese and tzatziki that is in the middle, covered by the vegetables. Crispy and not greasy, this is a must have.

Milos special at Estiatorio Milos in Midtown, NYC

Crab cake: for the price you would think that it is big, so I was really surprised when the dish came to see a small crab cake that looked…dry and was, so the sauce that came in was definitely necessary. It was served with a piazza bean puree.

At least the octopus was very good, perfectly cooked. It was served with capers, onions and Santorini fava.

Grilled octopus at Estiatorio Milos in Midtown, NYC

But the worst in term of price was the Greek salad: $32! What do they put? Gold tomatoes??? At least the tomatoes were good, but I think this is a bit pushing prices!!!

Greek salad at Estiatorio Milos in Midtown, NYC

Dessert was delicious: we of course got their baklava that was buttery and nicely sweet.

Baklava at Estiatorio Milos in Midtown, NYC

Lunch:

For appetizer, I chose the oysters. There were two from the East Coast and two from the West coast.

Oysters at Estiatorio Milos in Midtown, NYC

For the entree, I got the salmon tartare that was made with yogurt and Spanish caviar (I did not know there was Spanish caviar). Nice and light, the caviar gave a little crunch and I was glad that they did not put too much of it so the salmon could shine. And these fries that came with it were great: thin, cooked all the way through and crispy.

Salmon tartare at Estiatorio Milos in Midtown, NYC

Last was dessert. I chose the Karidopita, a Greek walnut cake that was served with a honey lavender ice cream. It was ok. I admit that I would have preferred a slice of baklava instead…

Karidopita at Estiatorio Milos in Midtown, NYC

So you know what I think about Estiatorio Milos. I think Molyvos that is close by is better and less pricey. Still, the lunch menu is worth it if you want to have a meal there.

Enjoy (…)!

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Estiatorio Milos - 125 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019

I Just Want To Eat! 8/30/21 I Just Want To Eat! 8/30/21

Sona, Modern Indian, in NYC, NY

I finally made it to Sona, a modern Indian restaurant that has made the headlines in the past few months, since its opening in April. It is not just because one of the partners is actress and producer Priyanka Chopra, but also because of the talent of Executive Chef Hari Nayak who once more shows his creativity, crafting a unique menu that would blew you away. I have met Chef Nayak few times: the first time was at Matt & Meera in Hoboken, back in August 2012. The concept was to bring American and Indian food together. I remember that when the restaurant closed, we were sad because we used to go often, but it was a false alarm: they were changing the concept and remodeling it to become Soul Curry, another favorite that unfortunately closed last year. Chef Nayak was there one Saturday evening for Guest Chef’s Night that gave an opportunity to various Chefs to showcase their menu at his place, a great opportunity for them but also for the diners as it gave an opportunity to try different dishes.

Chef Hari Nayak with Chef Sampath at Soul Curry in Hoboken, NJ

So, here we were, for an early diner on a Friday. I mention early because, when we arrived, the place was empty, but, an hour later, not one table was available. By the way, I should mention that Sona means “Gold” in Hindi and the fancy decor, with its golden columns, is beautiful, covered with paintings from Indian artists that are promoted by the restaurant and can be acquired by private collectors.

The menu is overwhelming: there are so many mouth watering dishes that I wish they had a tasting menu available, one non-vegetarian and one vegetarian, to give a chance to the diners to try a bit of everything (wink, wink!). There, you get flavors from all over India, with quality produce carefully sourced. Let’s not wait any longer, and this is what we had:

We started off by ordering drinks. Jodi got their Ginger Limeade that was made with lime juice, Kaffir lime leaf simple syrup and ginger beer. On my side, after a bit of hesitation between their old fashioned that had Plantation Pineapple Rum and cardamon bitters, I opted for their mango lassi. Well, you probably think that it is fairly safe and classic, but their mango lassi has tequila in it, and not a small amount of it, so you cannot drink this like milk!

We decided to order few appetizers. The first one was just for me to eat: the crab puri and caviar. This is an ode to Malabar crab where the mini-puri are filled with butter garlic crab and top with Kaluga amber Caviar. Besides looking decadent with these glossy sturgeon eggs dominating the dish, it is succulent, the caviar, with its mild and buttery taste complementing perfectly the butteriness of the crab filling.

Next was the Dahi Kachori, honoring Mumbai street food. This big fried pocket was filled with spicy Mint chutney, mung bean, passion fruit yogurt and sev that is crunchy noodles made from chickpea flour paste, seasoned with turmeric, cayenne and caraway before being deep-fried. You might have had the one bite version when dining in an Indian restaurant, but this is surely not a one-bite: looking spectacular with all these colors, it was crispy, sweet and savory, with many different flavors.

We also got their samosa that are different from the classic ones: first of all, these were made with phyllo dough filled with goat cheese and spinach. Served with a chili hot chutney, they were a bit spicy.

They nicely sent us two appetizers, complimentary: the first one was the rock shrimp Koliwada, a reference to the colonies of fishermen that can be found in India. These large and perfectly deep fried shrimp were covered with a mango pickle aioli that had a nice kick.

The second appetizer they offered us was beautiful: it was the buckwheat bhel, a dish that is as good visually as it is in your taste buds, made with fenugreek sprouts, raw mango, pomegranate, sev (remember these crispy noodles in the Dahi Kachori?) and buckwheat tossed in a citrusy chilli honey dressing. All of this covered by this beautiful honeycomb made with papdi lace, papdi being crispy crackers that are deep fried, used in most chaat/street snack recipes. Flavorful, I should mention that it was Jodi’s favorite appetizer (I could not pick one, still mesmerized by the dishes and impatient to see what the entrees would be).

The entrees were equally amazing. Jodi ordered their gruyere dosa, a South Indian crepe made with rice and lentil flour, filled with edamame arbi mash and served with a coconut and roasted tomato chutneys. The cone shaped crepe looked amazing and seemed to be a popular dish judging from the number of tables who ordered it.

On my side, after quite a lot of hesitation, I decided to order their black pepper short rib, short rib not being something I see often on an Indian restaurant menu. It was served with a bone marrow korma that is a creamy cashew and almond sauce, as well as hen of the woods mushrooms. Elegantly presented, this was a succulent dish: the sauce was creamy with a nice fattiness that complemented well the perfectly cooked short rib that was not dry at all, accompanied by not just mushrooms, but also a sort of pancake from South India, that is made with fermented rice batter and coconut milk, called appam. I admit that I was not sure how to eat it with the meat, as a supplement or by putting pieces of short rib in it. I went for the former…I thought that it was great to have the appam instead of rice; in fact it made sense as the meat was not bathed in the sauce and rice would not have worked with it.

Black pepper short rib at Sona in NYC, NY

We also shared some Dal Makhni that was delightfully creamy and that I ate with some chili and cheese naan (there was cheese inside) that was a bit spicy.

Last was dessert. We decided to try their last creation: the chocolate bebinca, a layer cake made with Valrhona chocolate crémeux, topped with a delicious caramel and served with coffee ice cream. This Goan cake served during the holidays finds its influence from the Portuguese cuisine that is one of the many influences in Indian cuisine. Decadent, it was quite chocolate, not too sweet, perfect with some masala chai.

We left full and mesmerized by the delicious food at Sona. Chef Nayak and his team have succeeded in creating an amazing menu that not only elevates Indian dishes but proposes a wide range of options for vegetarian and non-vegetarian, seafood or meat lovers. There are so many mouth watering dishes that the only frustration is not to be able to try all of them. At least in one visit, if you see what I mean…

Enjoy (I really did)!

If you like this post , the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Sona - 36 E 20th St, New York, NY 10003

I Just Want To Eat! 8/27/21 I Just Want To Eat! 8/27/21

Brunch at Soho Diner in NYC, NY

We passed in front of Soho Diner multiple times and finally decided to try that place. Located in the Soho Grand Hotel, this scene place is not your typical diner, more like an elevated version, like Empire Diner is, and a notch above Brooklyn Diner. The reddish interior is beautiful and their patio perfect for a Summer brunch. I am glad we came early so we could eat outside and enjoy the nice weather, because, 30 minutes later, a line started to form in front of…

On their menu, they have classics like waffles or pancakes that come either vegan or made with buttermilk. We went for the latter and I have to say that their pancakes were superb. When the plate came, we thought that they were burnt, but in fact, and I am not sure if it was on purpose or not, the nice char gave them a delicious crunchiness while the inside was cake-ey If this word exists... They were served with whipped butter as well as some maple syrup (not enough) that they specified was “real” on the menu in case you were wondering if they would serve some cheap sugar syrup. This is a dish not to miss if you go there.

Buttermilk pancakes at Soho Diner in NYC, NY

We also shared their huevos rancheros that were composed of a crispy tortilla, some spiced black beans, sunny eggs, salsa ranchera and crushed avocado. These were some of the best I had: the egg was perfectly cooked, the yolk being runny; the black beans were very good and not spicy (I am sure you can ask for hot sauce), and they put a nice amount of avocado on top. If you like (or not) huevos rancheros, I recommend it!

Huevos rancheros at Soho Diner in NYC, NY

Drinks are also interesting because you would get a wide variety of options, from Bellini to Bloody Mary, to cocktails or wine (I got a rosé).

Overall, the food at Soho Diner was quite good and we had a good time despite the fact that the service was a bit of a challenge (they seemed to be short of staff). They have a good brunch with mouth watering items and the fact that they open early 8am makes it a good place to go for breakfast or an early brunch. This is again an elevated version of a diner, so prices will be higher, but without going overboard.

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Soho Diner - 320 W Broadway, New York, NY 10013

Jean-Philippe Gerbi 8/25/21 Jean-Philippe Gerbi 8/25/21

Brunch at Mamo in TriBeCa, NY

Four years have passed since we went to Mamo, a restaurant located in TriBeCa, where I still remember some of the dishes we had, especially the deep fried burrata with truffle or the spaghetti all vongole, one of my favorite Italian dishes. So it was time to go back, but this time for…

This is a great place with a beautiful decor full of old movie posters that transport you to the past. But, definitely, their menu is not from the past and offers lots of options, from classic brunch like French toast or pancakes, as well as Italian dishes like pizza or pasta. For sure, the French toast is a must have: eggy, slightly crispy, it was served with a delicious banana caramel that was original. Yes, you read well: a banana caramel; I admit that when I read the menu, I thought it was topped with banana and caramel, and when the dish arrived, I was wondering if they were out of banana and instead put strawberries!

Another dish that is a must have is their ricotta toast: it is an elevated version of the fusion of a ricotta toast and an avocado toast with truffle shaving on top. And a lot of truffle! What was nice is that the bread was not too hard to cut (don’t you hate when the crust of the bread is too hard to cut, messing the entire toast?), and there was a nice balance between the amount of ricotta and the amount of avocado.

The last dish we tried was one of their pasta dishes: the maccheroni cacio e pepe. Homemade, perfectly cooked, it has the right amount of cheese and pepper.

Maccheroni cacio e pepe at Mamo in TriBeCa, NY

Of course, you can accompany your meal with whatever drink they have (they have a full bar, but I decided to simply have a macchiato while Jodi got a tea.

This was a great brunch: Mamo is a great spot to know and going back there for brunch after all these years makes me want to revisit them for dinner.

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Mamo - 323 W Broadway, New York, NY 10013

I Just Want To Eat! 8/23/21 I Just Want To Eat! 8/23/21

Dinner at Minetta Tavern in NYC, NY

Minetta Tavern, the restaurant of Keith McNally who also owns Bathazar, Morandi and Pastis, is an institution in New York. It has made headlines in the past because of their Black Label burger that was considered one of the best in the city. But we wanted to go so Jodi could get a slice of Balthazar’s coconut cake while I was more focusing on their steak frites, their fries being, from what I remembered, the best. We decided to go there at 5pm, when they open and were surprised to see people waiting online few minutes before. Some with reservation, others without. Still, the dining room did not fill up until probably 1h later where it was packed…and noisy.

And what a dining room: they definitely capture the feel of an old French brasserie from the decor to the outfits of the staff.

Dining room at Minetta Tavern in NYC, NY

They sat us at a table next to the kitchen, so we could see the pass. It is always interesting to see how they are organized or dis-organized as you will understand later. What is sure is that the bone marrow was the popular appetizer considering the number of them passing in front of us. I admit that I was tempted to order it, but, when I saw they had a vol au vent, stuffed with escargots and sweetbreads, I did not hesitate. Vol au vent is made with puff pastry; it is of a circular shape, and forms like a well, where the center would be filled with all sorts of saucy mixtures like mushrooms and béchamel for instance. The only place where I saw that was at La Duree. This was superb: the shell was buttery, smothered in a garlic parsley butter sauce that was divine, and with a nice amount of snails and sweetbreads.

Vol au vent at Minetta Tavern in NYC, NY

I should mention that I was sipping a cocktail was waiting for the appetizer: a Murray Sour made with Suntory Toki whisky, cardamon infused agave syrup, fresh lemon and orange. Refreshing on a hot day for sure.

Murray sour cocktail at Minetta Tavern in NYC, NY

Jodi just ordered the burrata as her main and in fact, it took forever for these to come. The burrata that was served with grilled peach, sun-gold tomatoes, basil oil and sourdough. This was her main and it took a very long time to come…Good otherwise, with the nice sweetness of the peach balancing the acidity of the tomatoes, but she was surprised by the amount of sourdough that was not much. Fortunately, we had a mini baguette from Balthazar on the table.

At least the burrata did not need to be cooked and I had a bad feeling about by steak. Well, it came overcooked (medium instead of medium-rare) and I sent it back. The manager came to apologize and promise that my re-fired dish would come quickly: It did. The meat was hard to cut and I was not sure if it was the knife or the quality of it. I understood after the first bite: it was tough and not of good quality. This was confirmed when they told me that it was a petite tender from the shoulder that is called in fact called the beef clod. This is one of the least expensive cuts of beef. If true, this is disappointing to see a place like Minetta Tavern serve this for $42. At least the béarnaise sauce was very good and the fries divine, just as I like them: thin, crispy on the outside and cooked all the way through.

Steak frites at Minetta Tavern in NYC, NY

Dessert was also a let down: the long awaited coconut cake was dry and seemed overcooked in the bottom, and the cake of the baba au rhum, that I admit had lots of rum in it, was too dense.

Coconut cake at Minetta Tavern in NYC, NY

Baba au rhum at Minetta Tavern in NYC, NY

So yes, I was disappointed: we were so looking forward to this diner at Minetta Tavern, but it did not deliver. If we go back, I would stick to the burger but certainly would order back their vol au vent!

Enjoy (…)!

If you like this post, the photo or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Minetta Tavern - 113 MacDougal St, New York, NY 10012

I Just Want To Eat! 8/20/21 I Just Want To Eat! 8/20/21

Jacob's Pickles in NYC, NY

I wanted to go to Jacob’s Pickles for so long! No, do not think that this is another joint selling a bunch of pickles in barrels. This is a restaurant known for its southern specialties and, of course, its pickles, that you can get In many ways. Fried is always an interesting choice: isn’t anything fried good? Pickles are no exception and the ones we tried were probably…

Fried pickles at Jacob's Pickles in NYC, NY

They have an extensive brunch menu that they serve until 4pm and I admit that I was a bit overwhelmed by it. There were so many mouth watering dishes, with their biscuits often part of it. So I hesitated between the fried chicken and pancakes (yes, no waffle this time) and the honey chicken and pickles sandwich. I chose the latter that was spectacular. The buttermilk fried chicken was on top of a biscuit, smothered in honey and hot sour pickles. There was no way I could eat this like a sandwich and ate it with my knife and fork. The first bite was amazing. You get the sourness of the pickle mixed with the sweetness of the honey, then the crunchiness of the fried chicken that was fabulous, not dry at all, and finally the biscuit that was superb. It was huge but you just wanted to dig in further. It was served with grits that I thought was an odd choice and unnecessary at first, when I saw how big the sandwich was, but, after trying these grits, I could not stop! They were fantastic: gritty, creamy and cheesy.

Honey chicken and pickles sandwich at Jacob's Pickles in NYC, NY

On her side, Jodi ordered the egg and cheese biscuit sandwich. That also looked spectacular. It was made of two fried eggs on top of a biscuit, topped with a large amount of aged Vermont cheddar. This was another great dish, perfect if you like eggs for brunch.

Egg and cheese biscuit sandwich at Jacob's Pickles in NYC, NY

We left full and I could not even have dessert at that point (too bad: they had fried Oreos). Well I guess it will be for the next time!

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Jacob’s Pickles - 509 Amsterdam avenue, New York, New York 10024

Jean-Philippe Gerbi 8/18/21 Jean-Philippe Gerbi 8/18/21

Seafood at Sirenetta in Hoboken, NJ

It’s been a while since I wanted to go to Sirenetta, the sister restaurant of Sorellina, a popular Italian restaurant located right across the street. Sirenetta opened during the pandemic, replacing Maxwell’s, an institution in Hoboken, a bar famous for hosting bands like The Bongos (first band to play there, one of their members being Maxwell’s cook), as well as Nirvana or The Smashing Pumpkins, to name a few. The place…

The owners of Sirenetta did a good job renovating the place, giving it a brighter and more vibrant vibe, taking advantage of the wrap around windows that make you feel you are outside, but with air conditioning…

Food wise, it is mainly seafood. If you are vegetarian, they do have a few dishes, but it is limited, and they did not seem flexible at all to accommodate. Don’t tell me that your gazpacho already has the shrimp in it and you cannot just serve this cold soup and put the shrimp on the side (that would be for me)!

Otherwise, the food was good, but I thought pricey considering the quantity. Here is what we had:

We started off by ordering drinks, a cocktail for me (a Monte Carlo, made with Rye, Benedictine, Peychaud and lemon) and a mocktail for Jodi (Pineapple Hearts, made with pineapple, grapefruit, lime and cranberry). We sipped them with some homemade bread sticks they brought to the table.

Monte Carlo cocktail at Sirenetta in Hoboken, NJ

Pineapple mocktail at Sirenetta in Hoboken, NJ

Bread sticks at Sirenetta in Hoboken, NJ

We had few delicious vegetarian dishes: I admit that I did not pay attention to the kale salad that Jodi ordered, but loved the grilled fava beans with sea salt and lemon that are equivalent to the edamame you would get at Japanese restaurants, but of course, this time with fava beans that I rarely see at the grocery stores or on restaurant menu, except sometimes pureed. The baked brie, topped with basil and cherries cooked in a balsamic reduction, was superb, the crispy crust revealing the delicious melted cheese.

Grilled local fava beans at Sirenetta in Hoboken, NJ

The seafood dishes looked stunning, but I was a bit surprised by the portions that I thought would be bigger considering the prices. The broiled oysters with ramp butter were nice, with the ramp butter not overpowering the oyster that tasted fresh.

Broiled oysters at Sirenetta in Hoboken, NJ

The pan seared scallops were well seared (I mention it because in many shows, Chefs get yelled at because they do not know how to sear them) and this dish was like a take on surf and turf as they were served with pork belly which fattiness complemented well the sweetness of the scallops that were sitting on a blueberry soy sauce that was both sweet and savory.

Pan seared scallops at Sirenetta in Hoboken, NJ

Then was the octopus. Served with a carrot puree and spiced olives, I was really surprised by this small portion and it was too bad because I loved it: they definitely know how to cook it; it was not chewy and had a nice char.

Grilled octopus at Sirenetta in Hoboken, NJ

The dessert was perfect to end this meal: it was a local peach tart that was accompanied by a cherry-balsamic swirl gelato. House made, the tart was not too sweet and buttery. It paired perfectly with the ice cream that was quite balanced, not too sweet, not too tart.

So, overall it was a nice meal, with beautiful dishes, but the lack of flexibility of the waiter to accommodate a vegetarian diet and the portions vs the prices are two big negatives for me. But if you do not mind paying whatever price and are not vegetarian, this is a great place for seafood!

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Sirenetta - 1039 Washington St, Hoboken, NJ 07030

I Just Want To Eat! 8/16/21 I Just Want To Eat! 8/16/21

Tacos at Mexicue in Chelsea, NYC

When you love Mexican cuisine and BBQ, there is one thing you cannot resist: a fusion between the two aka Mexican BBQ, and Mexicue does it perfectly. Jodi went on a Tuesday with her friend Alison while I was with my friend Benny at Boqueria. When she came back home, she was really excited about her dishes although she stopped short when I asked her what they had for dessert: they do not have any dessert! I am always surprised when restaurants do not have anything: a Mexican restaurant would have churros or flan, while a BBQ place would have a peach cobbler or a pecan pie maybe. But nothing? I admit that there had been few instances when this was a deal breaker.

So, the next day, we were looking for a restaurant for dinner the coming Friday and, as I mentioned that we probably cannot do Mexican because Jodi already went to one and probably wanted a different cuisine, she insisted to go back there: I did not need to be convinced as I love that place and I am always ready for a good meal, but, instead of going to their location in Times Square that did not have any reservation possible, we ended up in Chelsea.

As we arrived, we had the choice between the sitting outside or inside or I should say, between heat and air conditioning. We picked the latter, that unfortunately was quite noisy between the music and one particular table that probably thought they were the only one in the restaurant (sigh). I proceeded to order a cocktail, quite surprised that they offered some with bourbon, like the mojito aka bootleg I had that was refreshing, or even some margaritas.

Mojito made with bourbon at Mexicue in Chelsea, NYC

Of course, they do have guacamole and the charred jalapeño is intriguing, not knowing if it would put your mouth on fire, Jodi avoiding them as they were sitting on top of the avocado puree, while I took a mouthful, not screaming at all in pain after that, the jalapeño not being spicy. Overall good and well seasoned.

Charred jalapeno guacamole at Mexicue in Chelsea, NYC

Mexicue chelsea-charred jalapeno guacamole-1-2.jpg

I love the fact that you can order one taco as, often, you just pick one flavor and get two or three of the same. There, you can mix as I did with the burnt ends brisket, the Nashville hot chicken and the lobster (in order of preference). I eventually chose to have the brisket one grilled.

Lobster and Nashville hot chicken tacos at Mexicue in Chelsea, NYC

This was superb: the brisket was nicely charred, smothered in salsa verde and crema, with cotija cheese and spiced corn nuts. Delightfully greasy, the meat was tender, melting in my mouth and the shell had a nice crispy bite.

Burnt ends brisket taco at Mexicue in Chelsea, NYC

The Nashville hot chicken was also something: sitting on slaw with corn salsa, creamy Chipotle and pickled peppers, the chicken was deep fried, perfectly cooked and moist, crispy on the outside. I was expecting something spicy, but it was not really.

Nashville hot chicken taco at Mexicue in Chelsea, NYC

Then the lobster one: made with chipotle butter, creamy chipotle and scallions, it was definitely an elevated version of s shrimp taco and a nod to a lobster roll where the bread is replaced by a tortilla. Good, with a nice amount of lobster, I ditched few scallions as there was too much for my taste.

Then of course, are the vegetarian dishes I mentioned before that Jodi loved. There is first the avocado taco that is made with black bean spread, corn salsa, salsa verde, creamy chipotle and cilantro. Very tasty, I admit that I thought it would be fried, but it was not the case. Still, the texture was fine and it was not mushy.

Vegetarian tacos at Mexicue in Chelsea, NYC

The second one was the most surpassing: it was a charred broccoli taco composed of corn salsa, sesame seed salsa, cashew vinaigrette and scallions. Broccoli is not the most appealing vegetable for lots of people, but they managed to make it more interesting by adding the “charred” word in the name. And it was indeed interesting: it was earthy and homey with a nice crunch from the broccoli that was nicely…charred.

Charred broccoli taco at Mexicue in Chelsea, NYC

So, as I mentioned before, they have no dessert that is always a disappointment for me as I like to finish on a sweet note, but, fortunately, there is Empire Bakery close by, so we made sure we had some cookies…

Enjoy (I did)!

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Mexicue - 160 8th Ave, New York, NY 10011