December 1st-
For Nathan's birthday, we headed to Bobo on West 10th Street. It is tucked away, so it feels like you've discovered a treasure when you finally come upon it. You enter into what feels like someone's big old house. The first floor hosts the bar area and most of the dining is upstairs. The walls are all a colonial blue. There are dark bookshelves full of books, chandeliers, heavy curtains on the windows, small picture frames holding old black and white portraits on the walls and a fireplace with a mantle that holds charming trinkets. The lights are low, and candles are all around. It's very romantic and warm in feeling. Bread, butter and water were brought to the table as you would expect, while we looked over the menu. We started with the oysters. Each one of the three selections was delicious....one was slightly briny, one tasted just like fresh salt water from the sea, and one was buttery. Nathan liked the slightly briny one, and I, of course, liked the buttery one the best. Next, we had the crab appetizer, which to use the waitress' description, was a deconstructed crab salad. It was presented in a molded shape over curry sauce. It was so tasty! Surprisingly, the curry sauce did not overwhelm the delicate taste of the crab. I was sad when we ate the last bite. I think it was my favorite out of everything we ate that night. Last, we tried the cod duo which consisted of cod sitting on top of pork, on the side was a fried croquet with a dill pickle flavor. I know.....it doesn't sound that good. That's what I thought when Nathan said he wanted to order it.....but who was I to argue on his birthday? It was much better than it sounded. I loved the croquet! It was interesting....and the fish was nicely cooked. The pork I wasn't as into, but Nathan really liked it. We ended our dinner with a glass of port. The experience was relaxing and indulgent.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
The Shanteaus'
November 23rd-
So.....this blog was really just started as a food diary for myself, but my husband suggested that I write a blog instead. not having ever done this, I was, of course, curious and thought...."ok, this could be even more fun"......so here were are. My parents, my dad especially, read it regularly and at our last meeting, they prepared such a feast, they said jokingly that I should write about it in my blog.....so.......Mom and Dad......this one's for you.......
We arrived at the Shanteaus' practically starving.....which is always the best way to arrive here, because you always consume way more than you ever dreamed you were physically able to eat. Today was no different. Upon entering, I noticed a heaping pile of freshly baked biscotti, a dad creation. At once, at least two of those puppies went down. I don't eat sweets often, but as I said earlier, I was starving, besides......these are not obnoxiously sweet biscotti. They are pretty perfect. Now that I was eating those, I, of course, needed coffee. I realized at once that I was doing this all backwards, but I didn't care. Then, my mom started putting things on the table as they were ready, and we all just started eating them....first grape leaves that her friend had made, hummos, pita and some rolls. I skipped the bread, but took half a grape leave, leaving the other half for Nathan, and a smidge of hummos......trying to be careful not to overeat.....I always try.....but I somehow never manage to do so at home. Ok......I am not kidding you. I only tried the grape leave because she said her friend made it. I usually don't like them that much. They are always too bitter or sour. These were heavenly! I soooo want this recipe....and if the person who made them is reading this...PLEASE...I beg of you! I have never loved a grape leave until this one touched my lips. I immediately took another. I wanted to eat the whole bowl, but I knew more yummy goodness was on the way. One question.....what the hell kind of meat is in a grape leave? None of us knew and we've all tried them over the years. I guess, no one ever really liked them enough to find out until now. Then.....a plate of the most delicious ham in the whole world was placed on the table.....it is moist, cut to just the right thickness, a touch sweet and full of flavor. I have never had ham better than this ever anywhere. In fact, I rarely eat ham, because after my mom's, it is always a big disappointment. I ate this too. Next came a dish of fresh, bright green asparagus generously topped with hollandaise sauce......only my very favorite sauce in the whole wide world......a sauce I asked my dad to show me how to make at a time when the thought of cooking anything ever sent me running to hide. I had to know. I knew I could never live my life without it.....and believe me, I don't. Even Nathan ate some of this, contrary to my advice, because we think he may be allergic asparagus. He just couldn't stay away. He was already in......there is some kind of hypnotic food trance that occurs here at the Shanteaus' and you can't quite understand it until you have experienced it for yourself. Then, the spice cake was set on the table.....ok.....cake does not entice me, so I skipped this, but no one else did. But.....I was running out of room and I knew the grand finale was just about to make its appearance......the creme de la creme of brunch......eggs benedict. I was so full by this time, I couldn't finish the English muffin. I had to leave them for dead and go straight in for the eggs. Another great meal at the Shanteaus'.......they are the reason I find a need for a food blog in the first place.
So.....this blog was really just started as a food diary for myself, but my husband suggested that I write a blog instead. not having ever done this, I was, of course, curious and thought...."ok, this could be even more fun"......so here were are. My parents, my dad especially, read it regularly and at our last meeting, they prepared such a feast, they said jokingly that I should write about it in my blog.....so.......Mom and Dad......this one's for you.......
We arrived at the Shanteaus' practically starving.....which is always the best way to arrive here, because you always consume way more than you ever dreamed you were physically able to eat. Today was no different. Upon entering, I noticed a heaping pile of freshly baked biscotti, a dad creation. At once, at least two of those puppies went down. I don't eat sweets often, but as I said earlier, I was starving, besides......these are not obnoxiously sweet biscotti. They are pretty perfect. Now that I was eating those, I, of course, needed coffee. I realized at once that I was doing this all backwards, but I didn't care. Then, my mom started putting things on the table as they were ready, and we all just started eating them....first grape leaves that her friend had made, hummos, pita and some rolls. I skipped the bread, but took half a grape leave, leaving the other half for Nathan, and a smidge of hummos......trying to be careful not to overeat.....I always try.....but I somehow never manage to do so at home. Ok......I am not kidding you. I only tried the grape leave because she said her friend made it. I usually don't like them that much. They are always too bitter or sour. These were heavenly! I soooo want this recipe....and if the person who made them is reading this...PLEASE...I beg of you! I have never loved a grape leave until this one touched my lips. I immediately took another. I wanted to eat the whole bowl, but I knew more yummy goodness was on the way. One question.....what the hell kind of meat is in a grape leave? None of us knew and we've all tried them over the years. I guess, no one ever really liked them enough to find out until now. Then.....a plate of the most delicious ham in the whole world was placed on the table.....it is moist, cut to just the right thickness, a touch sweet and full of flavor. I have never had ham better than this ever anywhere. In fact, I rarely eat ham, because after my mom's, it is always a big disappointment. I ate this too. Next came a dish of fresh, bright green asparagus generously topped with hollandaise sauce......only my very favorite sauce in the whole wide world......a sauce I asked my dad to show me how to make at a time when the thought of cooking anything ever sent me running to hide. I had to know. I knew I could never live my life without it.....and believe me, I don't. Even Nathan ate some of this, contrary to my advice, because we think he may be allergic asparagus. He just couldn't stay away. He was already in......there is some kind of hypnotic food trance that occurs here at the Shanteaus' and you can't quite understand it until you have experienced it for yourself. Then, the spice cake was set on the table.....ok.....cake does not entice me, so I skipped this, but no one else did. But.....I was running out of room and I knew the grand finale was just about to make its appearance......the creme de la creme of brunch......eggs benedict. I was so full by this time, I couldn't finish the English muffin. I had to leave them for dead and go straight in for the eggs. Another great meal at the Shanteaus'.......they are the reason I find a need for a food blog in the first place.
Kefi
November 29th-
After spending the entire Thanksgiving weekend in three city blocks, Nathan and I felt like going a bit farther for dinner this evening.....and not eating anything that, to us, resembled comfort food.....not being big on that type of cuisine as it is. Since I had to work all day, on my usual day off mind you, I left the planning to Nathan, and was not disappointed. He didn't tell me where we were going, just had me accompany him through the upper west side until we ended up in front of a Greek restaurant named Kefi. I was thrilled. It was different. We had never been there....and it was recommended to me by Liz. The lobby was full. We were worried it may be too much of a wait, but were happily surprised to find that twenty minutes was all we were asked to wait. Soon after, we were lead into a cozy, small dining room. It was hot as hell in there. But.....the waiter was nice and speedy and I was finally sitting down and drinking wine after spending the last nine hours on my feet. The menu looked interesting. There were several things that looked good, but we settled on the spreads, the warm feta, the meatballs and the lamb chop special. The spreads were so good. They came out in four small bowls....eggplant, sundried tomato, yogurt and chic pea. the chic pea spread was so creamy and a touch sweet. It was by far my favorite. The yogurt was in second place and then the others. The warm feta came in a bowl with pita, olives, onions and tomatoes. I so loved it! The feta was great....just sour enough, but also creamy and rich. Then, we were given the meatballs and the lamb. I don't usually order meatballs, but Liz highly recommended them, so I had to try them. I must say, they were tasty. The lamb wasn't my favorite. I expected it to be a bit more tender, but the spinach and rice combination that accompanied it was possibly the best rice dish I have ever had.....creamy, tasty.....a nice surprise. It was a bit too much food for the two of us, but when we only picked three dishes, the waiter said it may not be enough food. Since we had never been there and weren't familiar with the portion sizes, we took his advice. Even though it was more than we needed, I didn't regret it. We were able to try a lot and now I have lunch for tomorrow.
We used to go to a restaurant/bar called Loft. It was special to us because this is where we were when we decided to get married in New York. We were sad to see it close. We recently found out that Kefi is relocating to that spot this coming Wednesday. Knowing this makes me feel happy. I anticipate our return to Kefi in their new location.
After spending the entire Thanksgiving weekend in three city blocks, Nathan and I felt like going a bit farther for dinner this evening.....and not eating anything that, to us, resembled comfort food.....not being big on that type of cuisine as it is. Since I had to work all day, on my usual day off mind you, I left the planning to Nathan, and was not disappointed. He didn't tell me where we were going, just had me accompany him through the upper west side until we ended up in front of a Greek restaurant named Kefi. I was thrilled. It was different. We had never been there....and it was recommended to me by Liz. The lobby was full. We were worried it may be too much of a wait, but were happily surprised to find that twenty minutes was all we were asked to wait. Soon after, we were lead into a cozy, small dining room. It was hot as hell in there. But.....the waiter was nice and speedy and I was finally sitting down and drinking wine after spending the last nine hours on my feet. The menu looked interesting. There were several things that looked good, but we settled on the spreads, the warm feta, the meatballs and the lamb chop special. The spreads were so good. They came out in four small bowls....eggplant, sundried tomato, yogurt and chic pea. the chic pea spread was so creamy and a touch sweet. It was by far my favorite. The yogurt was in second place and then the others. The warm feta came in a bowl with pita, olives, onions and tomatoes. I so loved it! The feta was great....just sour enough, but also creamy and rich. Then, we were given the meatballs and the lamb. I don't usually order meatballs, but Liz highly recommended them, so I had to try them. I must say, they were tasty. The lamb wasn't my favorite. I expected it to be a bit more tender, but the spinach and rice combination that accompanied it was possibly the best rice dish I have ever had.....creamy, tasty.....a nice surprise. It was a bit too much food for the two of us, but when we only picked three dishes, the waiter said it may not be enough food. Since we had never been there and weren't familiar with the portion sizes, we took his advice. Even though it was more than we needed, I didn't regret it. We were able to try a lot and now I have lunch for tomorrow.
We used to go to a restaurant/bar called Loft. It was special to us because this is where we were when we decided to get married in New York. We were sad to see it close. We recently found out that Kefi is relocating to that spot this coming Wednesday. Knowing this makes me feel happy. I anticipate our return to Kefi in their new location.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Fatty Crab
October 10th-
On the most beautiful October evening, after attending (with the Geeters) the Food Network's "Meatpacking Uncorked", a wine tasting event where you traveled on foot (me in my new Steve Madden black patent leather peep toe booties) in the Meatpacking district from fabulous boutique to fabulous boutique.....(I'm talking Diane Von Furstenberg....who gave out entire splits of champagne.... and Stella McCartney)......which...can I say?......was my absolute heaven....or maybe a tiny bit of torture, since I am trying my very best to be frugal....and something in every store was screaming out, "Buy me! You know you love me!" But to be honest, the excitement of discovering all these beautiful jewels in places I dare not allow myself to frequent was so magnificent, I could scarcely contain myself! Wine and champagne in my hand all night and shopping?! The only way this could have been better is if they gave you free clothes at each store! I was a droolin' like the dog from "Turner and Hooch"! Anyway.......on to the food......we were all hungry and tipsy by the end of the evening, so we decided to grab a bite to eat at Fatty Crab. Nathan and I had never been there and the Geeters highly recommended it. First, we had the mussels....good....nothing unusual. Then we had the shrimp wrapped in lettuce.....ok. The pork buns were next.....now we're talking! These were finger lickin' good! After that, the grand finale....the Short Rib Rendang.......the most tender delicious meat served with rice. Oh my god- who knew I would love pork so much?! This was amazing- my favorite dish of the evening! So.....Fatty Crab.....muy bueno!
On the most beautiful October evening, after attending (with the Geeters) the Food Network's "Meatpacking Uncorked", a wine tasting event where you traveled on foot (me in my new Steve Madden black patent leather peep toe booties) in the Meatpacking district from fabulous boutique to fabulous boutique.....(I'm talking Diane Von Furstenberg....who gave out entire splits of champagne.... and Stella McCartney)......which...can I say?......was my absolute heaven....or maybe a tiny bit of torture, since I am trying my very best to be frugal....and something in every store was screaming out, "Buy me! You know you love me!" But to be honest, the excitement of discovering all these beautiful jewels in places I dare not allow myself to frequent was so magnificent, I could scarcely contain myself! Wine and champagne in my hand all night and shopping?! The only way this could have been better is if they gave you free clothes at each store! I was a droolin' like the dog from "Turner and Hooch"! Anyway.......on to the food......we were all hungry and tipsy by the end of the evening, so we decided to grab a bite to eat at Fatty Crab. Nathan and I had never been there and the Geeters highly recommended it. First, we had the mussels....good....nothing unusual. Then we had the shrimp wrapped in lettuce.....ok. The pork buns were next.....now we're talking! These were finger lickin' good! After that, the grand finale....the Short Rib Rendang.......the most tender delicious meat served with rice. Oh my god- who knew I would love pork so much?! This was amazing- my favorite dish of the evening! So.....Fatty Crab.....muy bueno!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
The Boat Basin
September 13th 2008/April 17th 2009-
The Boat Basin is the perfect Upper West Side neighborhood place to go in the summer when you just want to lay low, have an unpretentious bite to eat, relax, gaze at the river, and not spend your life's savings on a meal. There are families there, young people, old people, people looking to meet people, and even really cute dogs....everyone is welcome. At night, it feels more like you are at someone's fantastic house for a summer barbeque. The food isn't bad either. The cheeseburger, is no Soho Park burger (my fav), but it will do. It is better with a side of horseradish sauce. The tuna wraps are my favorite.... tuna, avocado and wasabi mayo is a perfect marriage. You can even order a glass of wine without breaking a ten. I feel at home here. I will be back.....with friends.....all summer long!
The Boat Basin is the perfect Upper West Side neighborhood place to go in the summer when you just want to lay low, have an unpretentious bite to eat, relax, gaze at the river, and not spend your life's savings on a meal. There are families there, young people, old people, people looking to meet people, and even really cute dogs....everyone is welcome. At night, it feels more like you are at someone's fantastic house for a summer barbeque. The food isn't bad either. The cheeseburger, is no Soho Park burger (my fav), but it will do. It is better with a side of horseradish sauce. The tuna wraps are my favorite.... tuna, avocado and wasabi mayo is a perfect marriage. You can even order a glass of wine without breaking a ten. I feel at home here. I will be back.....with friends.....all summer long!
Soho Park / Balthazar / Vosges
September 5th-
My sister flew into town this morning, and after allowing her to catch her breath, we headed to Soho for lunch and shopping. Soho Park, as I've mentioned to everyone who knows me, is my favorite place to go for a cheeseburger. If I'm hungry, and we're in Soho, that is my destination. The place is just cool. It has a hip vibe, a lot of young people are always eating here, and the music is an awesome omage to the eighties. The burgers are juicy and full of flavor..... it isn't the giant eight pound patty of dried up meat that I seem to find all over New York. The bun is soft and moist, and the sauce they put on is a perfect compliment. It is just burger perfection, and the airy, fun atmosphere puts the cherry on top. You don't have to sit amoungst annoying parents and their poiled toddlers like at the Upper West Side Shake Shack, or amoungst tourists at the Shack's Madison Square Park location, and these are just better burgers anyway. After lunch, we managed to shop for hours in Soho....searching for vintage shops while finding others along the way. I managed to fall in love with a handbag, and met my newest Steve Madden obsession......a pair of black patent leather peep toe booties.....to die for. By this time, lunch was way worn off and Kristi, tired from her early morning wake up call, wanted to have a bite and a break. I thought......Balthazar! Of course! We were just barely able to get a table in the bar area, but it was nice to sit down. What did we order? Steak tartare .....and the only acceptable beverage to accompany it.......champagne! Kristi was on vaca after all, and when she told me she had never tried tartare, I insisted we order it. After a few glasses of champagne, I could no longer resist my newest obsession, and we went directly to Steve Madden to acquire them. To celebrate......chocolate! We set out for Vosges. Now, I am not a big fan of chocolate, or of any sweets for that matter, but Vosges makes a curry coconut chocolate truffle that I can never refuse! That was the perfect end to our adventure in Soho.
My sister flew into town this morning, and after allowing her to catch her breath, we headed to Soho for lunch and shopping. Soho Park, as I've mentioned to everyone who knows me, is my favorite place to go for a cheeseburger. If I'm hungry, and we're in Soho, that is my destination. The place is just cool. It has a hip vibe, a lot of young people are always eating here, and the music is an awesome omage to the eighties. The burgers are juicy and full of flavor..... it isn't the giant eight pound patty of dried up meat that I seem to find all over New York. The bun is soft and moist, and the sauce they put on is a perfect compliment. It is just burger perfection, and the airy, fun atmosphere puts the cherry on top. You don't have to sit amoungst annoying parents and their poiled toddlers like at the Upper West Side Shake Shack, or amoungst tourists at the Shack's Madison Square Park location, and these are just better burgers anyway. After lunch, we managed to shop for hours in Soho....searching for vintage shops while finding others along the way. I managed to fall in love with a handbag, and met my newest Steve Madden obsession......a pair of black patent leather peep toe booties.....to die for. By this time, lunch was way worn off and Kristi, tired from her early morning wake up call, wanted to have a bite and a break. I thought......Balthazar! Of course! We were just barely able to get a table in the bar area, but it was nice to sit down. What did we order? Steak tartare .....and the only acceptable beverage to accompany it.......champagne! Kristi was on vaca after all, and when she told me she had never tried tartare, I insisted we order it. After a few glasses of champagne, I could no longer resist my newest obsession, and we went directly to Steve Madden to acquire them. To celebrate......chocolate! We set out for Vosges. Now, I am not a big fan of chocolate, or of any sweets for that matter, but Vosges makes a curry coconut chocolate truffle that I can never refuse! That was the perfect end to our adventure in Soho.
Royal Kabab & Curry
September 19th-
It was a perfect evening.....cold enough for a soft, comforting sweater, yet warm enough not to abandon my flip flops. We decided to go somewhere we had never been before, and since Nathan was tired from a long week of work, I suggested we stay in our hood this time......but a part of our hood that we seldom venture to.......north of west 95th. We set out down Broadway and nothing seemed to quite fit what we were looking for until we stumbled upon this tiny little authentic looking Indian restaurant on 103rd. We decided to give it a try. After looking around and then reading the menu, we had to laugh and agree, that, yes, this was probably authentic Indian food. Carafes of wine were referred to as "crafts" on the wine list, and when I asked what kind of wine they had I was told "red or white". The staff was made up of what seemed to be a family. They were all very sweet. It was very charming and down to earth. They were even playing Indian music in the background. (There is nothing worse than going to an "ethnic" restaurant, and being made to listen to Ace of Base.) We ordered our usual.....Nathan, the chicken tikka, and me, the mutter paneer. Along side of this we had garlic naan and riatha, which weren't the best ever, but they were ok. Our entrees were good. Nathan's was better than mine. I would have liked to have more paneer. All in all, it was a nice meal. The food was good and the energy was happy. We left satisified and with a to go menu in hand.
It was a perfect evening.....cold enough for a soft, comforting sweater, yet warm enough not to abandon my flip flops. We decided to go somewhere we had never been before, and since Nathan was tired from a long week of work, I suggested we stay in our hood this time......but a part of our hood that we seldom venture to.......north of west 95th. We set out down Broadway and nothing seemed to quite fit what we were looking for until we stumbled upon this tiny little authentic looking Indian restaurant on 103rd. We decided to give it a try. After looking around and then reading the menu, we had to laugh and agree, that, yes, this was probably authentic Indian food. Carafes of wine were referred to as "crafts" on the wine list, and when I asked what kind of wine they had I was told "red or white". The staff was made up of what seemed to be a family. They were all very sweet. It was very charming and down to earth. They were even playing Indian music in the background. (There is nothing worse than going to an "ethnic" restaurant, and being made to listen to Ace of Base.) We ordered our usual.....Nathan, the chicken tikka, and me, the mutter paneer. Along side of this we had garlic naan and riatha, which weren't the best ever, but they were ok. Our entrees were good. Nathan's was better than mine. I would have liked to have more paneer. All in all, it was a nice meal. The food was good and the energy was happy. We left satisified and with a to go menu in hand.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)