Went to Newport, obviously there was Lobster

Corner Café Delivers for Brunch!

Last weekend, I had a fantastic weekend in Newport, RI with about half of my MBA class. The weather cooperated and many lobsters sacrificed themselves to a higher purpose. Christine and I were SUPER pumped in our bibs waiting for the lobster!

NOM NOM NOM

Once the lobster arrived, I couldn't help myself from taking a photo with my yummy buddy.

We had a moment....then I broke his neck. Oops

I am an empathetic person, so I put myself in the lobster's shoes...

You must appreciate a good pun - it cracks me up too!

We had some time the day before we left, so Christine and I researched the BEST spot. We found the Corner Café (http://www.cornercafenewport.com/) and we were not disappointed!

I don't know about you, but I always struggle with brunch. To go sweet or savory? Luckily, I had a kick ass brunch buddy (Christine!) and she struggles with this too!! We decided to order one of each and go halfsies!

For savory, we ordered the Cowboy Scrambler. It was eggs scrambled with ham, BACON!!!, jalapeno peppers, onions and pepperjack cheese. It was going to be served on top of sourdough bread, but we didn't want soggy bread, so we got that on the side (solid move). It was topped with sour cream and salsa. So good!

GET IN MY BELLY!

The potatoes were awesome as well and were a nice complement to the scrambler.

For sweet, we got the Wootens Sweetbread French Toast, served with homemade maple pecan butter! I prefer hot syrup (so it melts the butter and doesn't make the entrée cold) and they were happy to heat it up - love the service!

The powdered sugar adds extra drama

I loved the different flavors from both of our orders - it would have been too much to just have all the French Toast, so the eggs were a great contrast! I also loved the bottomless coffee - it was always kept full. Great service!

If you're in Newport, you must check this spot out!

Cheers,

Liz

 

Haute Cusine in Chile

A Meal to Remember

 

I have the pleasure of serving as a Teaching Fellow for an undergraduate course. As part of the course, my class (along with four other sections) traveled to Santiago, Chile for about a week to learn more about international business and specifically business in Chile. There were over 200 people on this trip - we all made it back in one piece (mostly)!

It should be no surprise that I was focused on the food and beverage aspect of this trip. I love experiencing another country through its cuisine. There is a group in my class of very sharp and clearly very food-focused students and I overheard them mentioning they made a reservation at a culinary mecca in Santiago: Borago (http://borago.cl/?lang=en). Naturally, the nosey person that I am, I asked if I could invite myself. I am lucky that I have a great group of students and they warmly extended an invitation! Extra Credit for them :)

We got dressed up and called taxis to get to the restaurant.

Me and the "kids" - to be young again!

Once we arrived at the restaurant, there was a bit of a SNAFU. Allegedly, the restaurant never got our reservation - that pesky internet can be unreliable! Oh well, our group was resilient and the host made a reservation for us at incredible restaurant: Astrid y Gaston (http://astridygaston.com/). You will need to translate the page with Google to English...unless, of course, you can read Spanish! This is one of the top ranked restaurants in Latin America as well as the world. It is Peruvian - my friends that are Peruvian are quite proud of this culinary gem!

The restaurant is located in a house - so cozy!

We did the Tasting Menu with the Wine Pairing. There were 6 courses and as many (if not more!) wine pairings. The food was spectacular and the wine complemented each course. It is one of my most memorable meals to date; not only for the food but for the company as well.

Beautiful Place Setting. I'm ready to eat! NOM!

If the table setting was an indication of the quality of the food, I knew I would be in for a real treat. We were served up delicious bread. It wasn't just tasty, it was warm! There was a hearty brown bread, a garlic focaccia-like bread and a seeded roll. The butter was also delicious - the perfect temperature. I hate when it is too cold.

Catch 22 - the bread! BEWARE!

As we hit the 5th course, I knew I shouldn't have eaten any of the bread. I got too excited at the beginning. Next time, I need to think that a Tasting Menu is a marathon...not a sprint! Now...the first course!

Art or food? Either way, it is edible and incredible!

I tried to get the exact descriptions off the site, but naturally, this is a struggle because the menu changes daily and it is translated oddly. It would have been nice to have gotten a printed menu, but oh well! On the left, was a puréed sweet potato stacked with crab and served with two sauces that brought out the flavor profile. On the right, a beautifully prepared ceviche.  Next up, the second course!

Can you handle this presentation?

What is that above you ask? Let me tell you! On the left, a freshly prepared scallop served in its shell and on the right, a panko-crusted shrimp. I loved both of these!

Salmon - the seafood can't stop, won't stop!

This course was a great combination - salmon served over risotto with a shrimp sauce.

Fancy Pasta!

All over Santiago, I saw on the menu a super expensive type of crab: large spiny crab. About $200! This pasta had a bit of the meat in it to not break the bank. Very tasty though!

How cute is the sunny-side up egg?

The last savory course was veal served with a soy-sauce, egg, french fries (or as the Chileans say, papas fritas!), and rice. I really liked the taste combo but I couldn't finish it. I was too full! I even had to pump the breaks on the wine - so cray cray!

Now...onto dessert!

How do you eat this? Quickly, of course!

This plate was full of stars! From left to right, a hot fruit soufflé, sorbets served in a cookie shell and Peruvian style donuts with ice cream!

This was an incredible meal and a great deal! The food was $60 and the wine pairings $24! In NYC, a similar experience could be over $200 a person. If you find yourself in Santiago, Chile and have time for an incredible meal (it took about 3 hours), this is the place to go!

Cheers,

Liz

 

Thankful for Whiskey Down

Vegas Baby!

What better way to prepare for Thanksgiving break than to go to Vegas with nearly thirty people from Stern? Honestly, I cannot think of a better way. Can you? Somehow we thought it would be a good idea to stay in Vegas for four nights and nearly five days. It was pushing it to the extreme, but we were there with the Stern Adventure Club, so it is sort of expected levels of debauchery.

During the trip. I got some serious bonding time with some awesome MBA1 ladies. Jenn and Miranda are special ladies and share my passion for a bar that we frequented over the weekend: Whiskey Down (http://www.mgmgrand.com/nightlife/whiskey-down.aspx). I knew it would be a special place when the bartender made Miranda an "extra spicy" Bloody Mary with his "special ingredients". We are still not sure what he put in the drink; sometimes it is best to have some mystery, especially in Vegas.

The bar is located in the MGM Grand (where we were staying) and it is conveniently located right near the elevator bank! It makes it easy to pick up a to-go cup.

My New Favorite Bar in Vegas

The drinks were affordable (by both New York and Vegas standards). Most of the specialty cocktails (typically $15) at $10-$12 and were fantastic. My favorite of the weekend was the Down-Home Punch. Served in a mason jar, it is made with Woodford Reserve MGM Select Barrel Bourbon, White Peach, Fresh Mint, Lemon and Tea. You know a casino means business when it has its own bourbon. #jealous

Down-Home Punch

If you're in Vegas and happen to be in the MGM Grand, I highly recommend this spot. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Cheers,

Liz

 

Let Me See that Lobster Roll

The MBA Life: Hamptons Edition

This past weekend has been a great break from the grind of the city. At Stern, each class is separated into blocks; I am in Block 3. One of my blockmates, Lilian, really spearheaded organizing the trip and the rest of us pitched in with cooking. One of the highlights of the trip was visiting The Lobster Roll Restaurant (http://www.lobsterroll.com/) in Amagansett. 

Since the seasons are changing, our server suggested a special drink. It was a Blue Point Pumpkin Ale with a cinnamon-sugar rim. It was DELICIOUS! I'm not sure if it was the best drink to pair with seafood, but whatever. I loved it!

As an appetizer, I was intrigued by the fried blowfish! How interesting! We had to try it, so a group of us selected a half-order to share.

You can probably see in the picture above that there is a small fin. When they fry puffer fish, it is the tail! For my main, I clearly had to get a lobster roll (I mean, the place is called The Lobster Roll!). Instead of the traditional style, I ordered a hot lobster roll. It is basically lobster meat prepared in butter and served with hot dog buns on the side.

It was delicious and really filling. The food isn't cheap, but you get a large quantity of lobster! With our bellies full, we headed to the beach.

The weather was lovely. I love New York City. I think being away from all the hustle and bustle gave me time to reflect on how much I love Stern, my friends and my family.

Cheers,

Liz