Nuela
43 W 24th Street
(Flatiron)
212-929-1200
www.nuelany.com
I discovered this nuevo Latino restaurant, Nuela, through my current addiction, the sales site, Bloomspot. I checked it out online and the menu looked like it had potential, and the photos of the space looked chic, modern and fun, so I took a chance and went for it. I was a little nervous when I went online to read the reviews the day I had scheduled my reservations, though, because people kept saying the portions were tiny, and that it was very overpriced. I already bought the voucher, so I was stuck. Too late now, so off to Nuela I did go. I don't know what they were talking about! Those reviewers must be the same people who are used to super sizing fast food....cheap, fat, overfed Americans. I thought the prices were reasonable and portion size was perfect. I was actually able to eat my entire meal and not feel like an overstuffed turkey the day before Thanksgiving, and the food was amazing! First, they brought out this delicious bread with honey butter...a nice twist. I'm not a bread lover. I usually take a bite, just for the sake of trying it and then leave the rest, but this bread I kept on eating and even accepted a second basket! For my entree, I ordered the Churrasco, since I was in quite a carnivorous mood, and have been in a passionate affair with chimichurri sauce for the last three years, (when we were first introduced). And if I wasn't already convinced that this dish was meant for me, all I needed to see is that it came with a side of yucca hashbrowns. Hashbrowns.....yes! Mmmmmmm...... When my food came, I expected it to be good, but it was better than that. It was exceptional! My steak was cooked perfectly, and "perfect" is the highest compliment I can give. There was absolutely nothing I would've changed about this entire meal. I couldn't tweak it in any way if I tried. I loved it! Loved! The decor was as it looked on the website, too....fun, modern...energetic...all in all, a good vibe, not cheesey and not too formal...very nicely done. I even started looking at the way they draped the orange cloth they used in their design and wondered "Hmmm....how can I incorporate this into my Manhattan apartment?" The bar looked comfy and inviting...next time, (yes, I'm going back), I'm gonna sit there. Even the bathrooms are cool...downstairs, dimly lit and sexy, coed with no attendant....do you catch my drift? Yeah...you can be naughty. Anyway....I recommend checking out Nuela....great place for a date!
Dinner prices:
Appetizers- $12-14
Entrees- $22-30
Dessert- $7-9
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Dulce Vida Cafe
August 11th-
Dulce Vida Cafe
1219 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10028
212-535-2424
www.dulcevidacafe.com
So......I've recently discovered a few things....Colombian food, and a little Colombian restaurant that recently opened up on the Upper East Side down the street from where I work every Friday. I've been asking myself, "Self, how is it that you claim to be a lover a food....a self declared foodie, in fact, and yet you haven't ever tried, or even thought about Colombian cuisine ever in your life?" This just seems almost impossible to me now, and way too Caucasian of me. It's almost as if the universe has been purposely keeping it from me. Well.....in the dark, I no longer reside. The secret has been revealed, and now I even have a regular spot in which to indulge my new found obsession. And no, obsession is not an exaggeration, for I have dedicated my lunch each and every Friday to trying something different on the menu of my new eating hole, and have even taken hostages (my coworkers) into this obsession with me. I insist we ALL throw ourselves into this mission with wild abandon. How could I possibly let my poor coworkers suffer the fate that befell upon me all these years in missing out on these delicious morsels? I could not.
Now that I've caught you up, let me tell you exactly what this restaurant is all about:
Arepas- Heavenly little round bread-like things that look like thick tortillas, but are much more delicious....get the one with the melted cheese in the middle called arepa de choclo rellena de queso. Those are by far the best type of arepas that have graced my lips so far.
Empenadas- Chicken, cheese and beef....you can't lose
Arroz con Pollo- Chicken in seasoned rice with vegetables...tasty and very filling
Ropa Vieja- Shredded beef on an arepa....this was a little dry...needed a sauce
Sancocho- The most delicious soup ever...chicken, corn on the cob, potatoes, yuca and plantains....tastes so homemade like your grandmother made it with love. I really like that they put cilantro in it. I think it makes the dish...gives it
more complexity of flavor. This is, of course, served with rice.
Ajiaco- Another soup, but different from sancocho. There is no cilantro, but a little cream and capers instead and avocado. Otherwise it tastes the same.
They also have a wide array of desserts, (guava pastries, cokitos, mojicones, obleas, achiras, bochadillos, brevas, flan, arroz con leche, tres leche, bunuelos), but a sweet tooth I do not possess, so I cannot personally vouch for them, although I heard they were also quite good. The only exception to this is the bread pudding (pudin de pan), which they gave me a sample of. That was moist and quite tasty.
The cafe is a tiny little place, very clean and brand new looking filled with a very friendly staff who now call me "Friday" (see first paragraph regarding my obsessive tendencies).
Writing this has made me hungry and I am so happy tomorrow is Friday. You know where to find me!
Dulce Vida Cafe
1219 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10028
212-535-2424
www.dulcevidacafe.com
So......I've recently discovered a few things....Colombian food, and a little Colombian restaurant that recently opened up on the Upper East Side down the street from where I work every Friday. I've been asking myself, "Self, how is it that you claim to be a lover a food....a self declared foodie, in fact, and yet you haven't ever tried, or even thought about Colombian cuisine ever in your life?" This just seems almost impossible to me now, and way too Caucasian of me. It's almost as if the universe has been purposely keeping it from me. Well.....in the dark, I no longer reside. The secret has been revealed, and now I even have a regular spot in which to indulge my new found obsession. And no, obsession is not an exaggeration, for I have dedicated my lunch each and every Friday to trying something different on the menu of my new eating hole, and have even taken hostages (my coworkers) into this obsession with me. I insist we ALL throw ourselves into this mission with wild abandon. How could I possibly let my poor coworkers suffer the fate that befell upon me all these years in missing out on these delicious morsels? I could not.
Now that I've caught you up, let me tell you exactly what this restaurant is all about:
Arepas- Heavenly little round bread-like things that look like thick tortillas, but are much more delicious....get the one with the melted cheese in the middle called arepa de choclo rellena de queso. Those are by far the best type of arepas that have graced my lips so far.
Empenadas- Chicken, cheese and beef....you can't lose
Arroz con Pollo- Chicken in seasoned rice with vegetables...tasty and very filling
Ropa Vieja- Shredded beef on an arepa....this was a little dry...needed a sauce
Sancocho- The most delicious soup ever...chicken, corn on the cob, potatoes, yuca and plantains....tastes so homemade like your grandmother made it with love. I really like that they put cilantro in it. I think it makes the dish...gives it
more complexity of flavor. This is, of course, served with rice.
Ajiaco- Another soup, but different from sancocho. There is no cilantro, but a little cream and capers instead and avocado. Otherwise it tastes the same.
They also have a wide array of desserts, (guava pastries, cokitos, mojicones, obleas, achiras, bochadillos, brevas, flan, arroz con leche, tres leche, bunuelos), but a sweet tooth I do not possess, so I cannot personally vouch for them, although I heard they were also quite good. The only exception to this is the bread pudding (pudin de pan), which they gave me a sample of. That was moist and quite tasty.
The cafe is a tiny little place, very clean and brand new looking filled with a very friendly staff who now call me "Friday" (see first paragraph regarding my obsessive tendencies).
Writing this has made me hungry and I am so happy tomorrow is Friday. You know where to find me!
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