Oh...Republic Serves Asian Food?

June 30, 2014Asian, Dinner, Drinks, Happy HourLizComment

Still Can't Call Myself a "New Yorker"

Sometimes it is painfully obvious that I am still relatively new to living in Manhattan. I was recently reminded of this fact when Melissa suggested grabbing a bite to eat at Republic (http://www.thinknoodles.com/findex.html). I had mentioned that I felt like something Asian - maybe Chinese or Thai, so I was confused when she suggested this place. I had (how embarrassing!) thought that it was a burger place. It is near Heartland Brewery...the signage looks very similar...so, you can see how I'd be confused! Clearly, I had said something sacrilegious. EVERYONE (except little ol' me until then) knows this place has yummy Asian food.

Melissa RAVED about the Spicy Beef noodle soup - similar to Pho. This bowl contains heavenly noms, like wheat noodles, rare beef, garlic, onion, lemongrass, chili peppers, bean sprouts, scallions and fried shallots. For $15, this bowl will FILL YOU UP!

**Spicy Beef Noodle Soup aka Bowl of Awesome Deliciousness**

This restaurant has a great reverse happy hour that starts at 10pm. Cocktails that are normally $11 are $7 and beer/wine is around $4. We each got a frozen Lychee-tini!

This is a lovely spot. I'm glad I'm no longer in the dark! If you haven't been here, please enlighten yourself as well!

Cheers,

Liz

In the Zona (Rosa) for Mexican

June 20, 2014Beer, Dinner, Drinks, Mexican, OutdoorsLizComment

Heading to Williamsburg for Guac!

After two weeks in Ireland, I was craving Mexican food. The various cuisines that we did try there (Thai, Moroccan, French) were fantastic, though I didn't manage to have any Guacamole and Tacos during my time on the Emerald Isle.

Christine suggested Zona Rosa (http://zonarosabrooklyn.com/), a fun spot in in Burg. I got there a couple minutes early and ordered a Modelo Especial. I drank a lot of beer in Ireland and it has grown on me. Who says you can't change?

**Beer helps when you're sweating your face off. Thanks humidity.**

We had to get guacamole. I was really glad we did - great portion size and the chips were hot and perfectly salted.

**Ample portion of guacamole and chips - plus some salsas!**

Christine ordered the Tamarindo, made with mescal and tamarind juice. She said it was great! The smoky flavor of the mescal complimented the sourness of the tamarind.

We got two types of tacos to share. On the top, Tacos de Carnitas made with Braised Berkshire pork Mexico City Style and topped with onions and cilantro. On the bottom, Tacos de Carne Asada con Hongos y Queso. The pork ones were FAR better than the steak ones. I felt the steak ones were too fatty in texture. On top, they came with three salsas of various spice levels. I didn't use any of them though.

This is a great Mexican spot. There is ample outdoor seating upstairs but, given the weather, we opted for air conditioning inside!

Cheers,

Liz

French? Oui, Oui!

May 31, 2014Desserts, Dinner, Drinks, FrenchLizComment

A Lovely Restaurant Amid the HORROR of Times Square

I haven't seen my friend Ann in YEARS and we planned a dinner to catch-up. I wanted to pick a place that would be tasty, not too loud, and near the Port Authority (Ann commutes in from NJ). I did my best to avoid the hellhole of Times Square and found a great French restaurant, Marseille (http://www.marseillenyc.com/). I always appreciate the opinion of fellow Yelpers! to help me find somewhere to eat!

The restaurant has outdoor seating (I chose to avoid it because it can be distracting with all the people walking and cars). The interior reminds me of a French bistro - loved it!

I got to the restaurant a little early and a cocktail caught my attention - Le Pamplemousse. This is a classy reinterpretation of a Greyhound. Made with Absolut Ruby Red Grapefruit Vodka, Campari, Elderflower, Fresh Citrus & Salted Rim. It was DIVINE. The perfect combination of salty and sweet!

Ann went with the Pomegranate Cocktail, made with Bacardi Silver, Amaretto, and Pomegranate & Pineapple Juice. I tried a sip - tasty but not as good as mine!

After reading reviews, I was pretty sure I would order the Lamb Shank (the signature dish of the restaurant). I changed my mind when the diners next to me said to get the Plat de Juor: Rack of Lamb. I asked our server and he recommended it as well - I was sold! I got it served medium rare - perfection! It was cooked to the exact temp and just lovely. I'm so glad I got it!

Ann ordered the Beef Short Rib "Bourguignon" - she loved it too!

We decided to split at dessert and since we both LOVE chocolate, we got the Warm Chocolate Cake. So good!

I really enjoyed this restaurant - especially the cocktails! I look forward to coming back soon!

Cheers,

Liz

I Can't Prounce it but it is Delicious

May 29, 2014Desserts, Dinner, Drinks, Mexican, Tasting MenuLizComment

Xixa is a Williamsburg Gem

Christine and I wanted to meet up for dinner before I head off to Ireland. She RAVED about a spot in Brooklyn and we decided this would be the perfect place for our dinner. Xixa (http://xixany.com/) is located in Williamsburg. The easiest way for me to get there from my apartment is to take the M train to Marcy Avenue. I didn't realize this subway went ABOVE ground - how exciting! When I got off the subway, I took a photo - you can see Peter Luger (the famous steakhouse) in the background!

**Above ground subways outside of Manhattan - it's a crazy world out there!**

Xixa has an awesome cocktail list that features many infused tequilas. I asked our awesome server, Allison, for the best way to enjoy the Thai Tea Tequila - she recommended having it on the rocks. Christine got the Apricot Tequila (90% sure...) with the Margarita Cubes - as they melt, they add complex flavors to the Tequila. AWESOME.

**Apricot Tequila with "Margarita Cubes" - seasonal fruit, citrus and small salt cube - instant party!**

The interior of the restaurant is beautiful. I didn't snap a photo of our seating, but the table we sat in was super comfortable - it allows you to relax as you're served dish after dish! I did notice that some of the stool seating looks uncomfortable. I'm not sure I'd want to be in a wrought iron stool - my butt would hurt!

We requested the Chef's Tasting ($45 per person) - typically, you should have 3 or more people to do it, BUT our server was super awesome and let us do it just for 2! Get ready to be blown away by my description of our 13 (!!!) courses!

Our first course was pickled veggies, light, crunchy and served with a tasty sauce. This was a great way to prepare our palates for the richer dishes to come.

Our second course was a wonderfully spiced edamame.I loved it! I think it may have been grilled - it really changed my perception of the veggie from just having them steamed in Asian restaurants.

**Course 2: Mexico-City Style Sautéed Edamame, Arbol Chile, Lime, Toasted Garlic**

Our third course was a ceviche course - it was phenomenal! The seafood (shrimp and Hamachi) were super fresh and complimented by the fruits and sauces.

**Course 3: Hamachi and Shrimp Ceviche**

Our fourth course was duck lettuce wraps - I LOVED the duck but wasn't a huge fan of the banana on the side. This is my own issue as I'm not a fan of the flavor (unless it is in Banana Bread, I know. I'm weird).

**Course 4: Braised Duck Lettuce Wraps, Mushrooms, Picadillo, Raisins, Peanuts, Roasted Banana**

The fifth course was tempura fried Blowfish - it had a bone in it, so we ate around it like a rib. If you haven't had this, you must try it if you see it on a menu. The fish is moist, meaty and flaky - so good.

Our sixth course was chicken wings - I totally forget the preparation. Can you blame me? At this point, it was all a delicious blur and had to keep track of (the menu updates a lot and I couldn't find all descriptions online). This was the least impressive dish. Still tasty, but not a knockout like the others.

At this point, we needed a new beverage. We both got the Bourbon'd Tequila with Old Fashion Cubes. This was so tasty! I will warn you though, if you take your time on the drink (like we did), the last sip is very very aggressive (all the spices in the cube have melted, so the drink is highly seasoned).

Course seven was a cheese fundido with parmesan chips and shisito peppers - what is there not to love about melted cheese?

**Course 7: Fundido of Taleggio & Chihuahua Cheese with Italian Chorizo, Parmesan Tortillas and Shisito Peppers**

Course eight was one of the most adventurous. When you order the Chef's Tasting, you can specific your dietary needs (if you are a vegetarian, etc.) and what you don't like (we were open to bone marrow but didn't want organ meat). The flexibility makes it great to have a different experience each time you go (which I plan to do again!) This course was bone marrow with steak tartare. I've never had bone marrow before and it was lovely! If anything, it is very rich and reminds me of butter. The presentation was beautiful. If you are a vegetarian, it would be horrifying. #meat

Course 8: Roasted Bone Marrow with Steak Tartare — **Course 8: Roasted Bone Marrow with Steak Tartare**

Course nine was the highly Yelped! about carrots - they were unlike any carrots I've ever had. It was the combination of the cheeses and lime that really stood out. Delicious!

**Course 9: Grilled Carrots "Elote" with Honey Butter, Lime Crema, Coriander, Feta, Dill**

Course ten was pork belly and pork cheeks. So delicious! The pork had great texture and taste. Absolutely lovely.

**Course 10: Carnitas of Pork Belly & Cheeks, Fava Beans, Black Trumpets, Pasilla-Pulque-Prune**

Course eleven took us out of savory and into sweet! The churros were awesome and the sorbet served with them was spicy! I enjoyed this one, but not as much as the other dessert.

**Course 11: Meyer Lemon Churros with Lemon Cream and Strawberry Habanero Sorbet**

Course twelve was a carrot tres leches cake with cumin (!!!) ice cream. This was incredible. I wish I could have another one right now. SO GOOD.

**Course 12: Carrot Tres Leches Cake with Cumin Ice Cream**

Course thirteen was a nibble of almond brittle (I believe). The perfection conclusion!

This restaurant is incredible. The value ($45 for 13 courses!) and quality of food (expensive ingredients!) is unmatched by any tasting menu I've done before - especially in New York City where prices can be very high! Also, the timing was perfect - all dishes arrived at an appropriate time and we didn't feel rushed. The temperature on the food was great - it was hot, so it wasn't sitting. This is an excellent restaurant, one of the best I've been to recently, if not in the last several years. You must come here - RUN don't walk.

Cheers,

Liz

Burgers and Bridal Shower Planning

May 29, 2014American, Dinner, DrinksLizComment

SoHo Park for Burgers and Booze

I went to Chile for Spring Break and met several new friends, including Sophia and Frank. Sophia is getting married in a couple of months and Frank is leading the charge on planning. I was honored when they asked me to help them in picking a venue for a bridal brunch - I guess all of this blogging has given me a bit of a reputation.

We met up for dinner to review some potential locations. Frank suggested SoHo Park (no website, http://www.yelp.com/biz/soho-park-new-york). When I saw that there was a Capirinha, I ordered it! It was light, crisp and refreshing.

Frank takes planning seriously - LOVE him!

I ordered the Classic Park Cheese (cheese burger) with fries and garlic aioli (garlic mayo!). The burger was $6.75 and wasn't much better than a burger I'd get at Shake Shack for $4.75. The garlic aioli was amazing, but that is hard to mess up, right? Garlic + Mayo = Magic

This place was ok - there are far better places for burgers and fries in the city. The SoHo location just made it more expensive.

Cheers,

Liz

Trattoria il Disappointmento

May 27, 2014Dinner, Drinks, ItalianLizComment

A Celebration Dinner Fails to Impress

My parents flew in from Arizona for my graduation from Stern last week. My brother already lives in the city, so he was able to leave work early to join. The graduation took place at Radio City Music Hall. Approximately 1,200 people graduated at my ceremony (~800 part-time and ~400 full-time students) - so over 5,000 attended when you factor in family members. INSANITY

When organizing a celebratory dinner, I keep in mind all attendees: specifically food preferences and desired atmosphere (quiet, hip & trendy or well-lit). My entire family enjoys Italian food, so I put a lot of effort into finding a place that would make everyone happy...or so I thought! I chose Trattoria il Mulino (http://www.trattoriailmulino.com/trattoria-il-mulino-new-york-menu/) thinking it would please everyone and it ending up disappointing everyone instead. Let me take you through the meal so you understand.

Several days before our reservation (through Open Table), I called the restaurant directly. I requested that we be given a seat that would be easier for a handicapped person to sit in and be in a quieter part of the restaurant. I also mentioned that it was a graduation celebration meal (I also put that in my notes on my reservation).

When my mom and I arrived (ahead of my brother and dad, who had to take a cab), I spoke to the host. There were NO NOTES (!!!!) with my reservation. When I asked about the seating, they had no idea what I was speaking about. I asked if we could sit in the booths (easier for my dad to sit in than the chairs there), the host shared that a sporting event would be shown via projectors. I was very disappointed at this point - knowing that my parents would pay several hundred dollars for a meal at a place that 1. had no idea what was going on and 2. was showing a sporting event. I thought this was a much nicer restaurant. At that point, I almost left, which I should of, but I didn't want to make it more difficult for my dad to go to a new location. Coulda, woulda shoulda - next time I need to trust my gut!

Once we were seated, we got the complimentary set-up of roasted eggplant (served cold), fresh baked bread and sliced salami.

**Complimentary Roasted Eggplant served cold**

**Complimentary Bread - chose focaccia and a breadstick**

I enjoyed these while I was eating them. Once I got home, I didn't feel that well - potentially from the food. It could have been from the eggplant - eek.

I would think this "more affordable" sister restaurant of Il Mulino would have food that far exceeds its cocktails. At least my cocktails kept me distracted from my disappointing experience. I loved the drinks I got. The first one (couldn't find names of cocktails on the website), featured gin and grapefruit juice.

**Grapefruit & Gin cocktail - one of the only meal highlights**

I ordered one of the special appetizers - the soft shelled crab. It was far better than my entrée and served with garlic spinach. My dad got the Ricotta Meatballs appetizer.

If anything, this restaurant has great décor and the lighting is really nice - I love the fixtures on the ceiling.

My mom ordered the Veal Picatta - I tried a piece and it was nice. When I made the reservation, I didn't realize this was the type of restaurant that didn't offer sides with the entrée. So, now a $30 entrée becomes $40 if you add a $10 side (spinach, pasta, etc.). My mom opted not to get any sides.

My dad ordered the Gnocchi with Bolognese sauce. He loves this dish and didn't enjoy it. I got the impression that the gnocchi he gets in blister-packs from Costco is better.

I didn't take a photo of my brother's swordfish. The portion was embarrassing - especially for $38. It looked like they took a thick filet and cut it in half horizontally. I've never seen swordfish served that thin - maybe on sushi!

I ordered the Spaghettini with Meatballs. This place is famous for its Ricotta Meatballs. My dad commented that he felt like they came from some meatball factory since they were so perfectly round - they seemed more like they were made from a machine and not a person. I do enjoy the rougher, homemade touch.

I ordered one final cocktail - a Cosmopolitan. It was delicious.

I am generally very happy with restaurants that I research and visit. I was so disappointed with this one! I'd also note that the service was subpar - it was hard to get our server's attention when she was busy texting all evening off to the side. What was supposed to be a delightful meal to celebrate my graduation ended up being a real bummer. I'd recommend visiting other Italian spots, like Malatesta Trattoria or Pepe Giallo, the food is much better and much more affordable!

Cheers,

Liz

I live next to Korea(town)

May 27, 2014Asian, Dinner, KoreanLizComment

Shilla BBQ for Dinner with Mom!

My mom and I attended an awards ceremony at Stern to support one of my very good friends, Christine. I'm proud of all of her accomplishments and I was glad I could be there to support her!

After the ceremony ended, my mom and I went to Shilla (no website, http://www.yelp.com/biz/shilla-new-york). This is a Korean BBQ joint right by my apartment. I've gone here before with my family and enjoyed it. We walked down 32nd St and looked at several other spots to eat (in the spirit of trying something new!) - but each had ridiculous lines. We were hungry, so Shilla, with no wait, was the clear winner.

Each time we've come in the past, we've sat on the first floor. I was surprised when they said to walk up to the "third floor" - I didn't even know they had one! The restaurants in Koreatown are so large!

The small dishes of appetizers that came out before the meal (the "banchan") were super tasty! I'm still working on figuring out my camera, but tried it out at dinner - so bear with me!

**Sautéed spinach, kimchi pancakes and bean sprouts**

My mom and I both love bulgogi. If we wanted to BBQ it ourselves, we would need to order two BBQ entrees. Instead, we ordered the bulgogi on rice in a hot pot. This was a way to have the meat style that we love without ordering a ton of meat!

We also orderer the Jap Chae, which is a clear noodle dish with (more!) bulgogi style meat and veggies. Some of the mushrooms in it freaked me out - they are large black mushrooms that are just aggressive. My mom and I both ate around them - it is a texture thing.

This is a solid Korean joint. I will note that it has a B Health Rating. I saw a place in Koreatown that has a C - how is that possible? Anyway, I've eaten in many Asian restaurants with B health ratings and haven't had an issue ever, just wanted to advise you!

Cheers,

Liz

Dhaba is really...Wait, what did you say?

May 26, 2014Beer, Dinner, IndianLizComment

Good Thing You Don't Need to Hear Food to Taste it!

With my parents in town, there are countless meals that need to be accounted for as well as many different preferences to please. My family enjoys Indian food and we've gone to Dhaba (http://dhabanyc.com/) many times and we've been happy with it in the past.

The reason this is in the past tense is because the restaurant was UNBEARABLY LOUD. My parents were seated right across from me and my brother was right next to me - I could not hear anything without YELLING. I also noticed that there were not many Indian people eating at the restaurant - mostly tourists. In the past, this was not the case. It makes me wonder if this restaurant has fallen from grace a bit. The quality was good but no longer great.

Anyway, let me explain what we did order. Since I couldn't talk with my mom or dad without yelling, I felt like I needed a drink. I got a Kingfisher.

We ordered several dishes to share. My mom loves Shrimp Curry, so we obviously had to get that. We also got Chicken Tikka Masala and Chicken Korma - both with white meat chicken only. I love the mix of the more savory Tikka with the sweeter Korma. There isn't a significant amount of chicken in either, the sauce to chicken ratio is all off, but I feel that is pretty typical in Indian cuisine I've had in NYC.

We also ordered Basmati Rice and two orders of Garlic Naan. The naan was delicious but a bit greasy.

For NYU graduation, the Empire State building was lit up Violet. How awesome! I took several snaps to share below.

**The Empire State Building has never looked better!**

I'm disappointed but my family will need to find a better go-to Indian spot where we can actually enjoy our food AND conversation!

Cheers,

Liz

Sarge's - It's Back and Better than Ever!

May 23, 2014American, Deli, DinnerLizComment

A New York Deli Hits the Spot!

My parents are in town for my graduation from Stern (yay happy times!). They love a classic New York deli that is near my brother's apartment: Sarge's (http://www.sargesdeli.com/). Unfortunately, it was closed due to a fire in 2012. It recently reopened! I was pleased because I had never tried it while it was open and now was my chance!

Before my parents visited, I had ordered Sarge's through Seamless. I got a turkey sandwich and the pasta salad - both were incredible! There is something about eating in the physical restaurant that is much better than Seamless, so I was excited to try it on site!

My dad wasn't the biggest fan of the fries before, so he was curious to try them out. Based on his reaction, I am 100% sure they are much better! Before they were the thick steak-cut fries - these are a much better size ratio. The onion rings were awesome! I hate when you bite into one and the onion separates from the batter; this one stayed in tact! The waffle-cut sweet potato fries were great, but I would have preferred the normal shape.

I should also mention, you get a bowl of coleslaw and a bowl of pickles for the table. The serving size of coleslaw seemed appropriate for our group size (4) but the pickles were far too plentiful!

I ordered the turkey sandwich (as did my dad and brother) and my mom got the pastrami. It is KEY to order it lean. You can get it normal (which is somewhat fatty), lean (still tasty and delicious but not as gristly) or super lean (a bit drier but much less fat).

The turkey is REAL turkey, unlike deli meats you may get at a grocery store. The meat is carved from an actual turkey vs. some monstrous reformed blob of meat. It is divine. You must try it.

The pastrami? Where to start??? It is the best pastrami I've ever had. Katz's does not impress me - it is WAY too thick. Also, Carnegie is great but just cannot compare. The waitress gave me a funny look when I asked for mayo and said she "wouldn't tell anyone" - I realize it is a cardinal sin to not have mustard, but, deal with it. I appreciated that she didn't rat me out to the culinary police.

Also, the macaroni salad is AMAZING. It is the perfect combo of tangy with a hint of sweetness. Some are overly sweet or have too much mayo - this was awesome! Normally different shaped pastas in the same dish freak me out, but I actually liked the elbows and larger shells. WIN.

You may have noticed that these sandwiches are MASSIVE. I recommend requesting several additional slices of bread (I always get rye), so you can make a couple more sandwiches with the left-overs you will likely take home! You can get 2-3 sandwiches, at least, depending on your preferred meat-to-bread ratio.

Cheers!

Liz

Uno..Dos (Caminos)..Tres!

May 23, 2014Dinner, Drinks, Mexican, OutdoorsLizComment

Mexican in Meatpacking!

After our evening at the Dream Hotel, Christine and I headed to Dos Caminos Meatpacking(http://www.doscaminos.com/) for dinner. After several hours of cocktails, we were due for actual food!

At Stern, I served as a Launch Captain (helped with Orientation for new students) and I got a gift card for the family of restaurants that owns Dos Caminos. I keep forgetting to use it, but happened to have it in my wallet. This was the perfect occasion!

Whenever I get to a restaurant, I check Yelp! and Foursquare for check-in deals. You'd be surprised on how many perks you can get just by "checking in"! On Yelp!, I noticed there was "1 free Prickly Pear Shot" with check-in. I had no idea how big it would be, but I assumed it would be a small serving of the frozen Prickly Pear margarita.

I liked that it was served in a Champagne flute - it seemed more elegant. We didn't want to order any more alcoholic beverages, so this was a nice sweet treat. Naturally, we had to get the guacamole. A visit to a Mexican restaurant without it seems like a sad visit!

The guac here is great, but not as good as Rosa Mexicano. That place is the BEST. We split two tacos. The Carnitas is slow-roasted pork with green chile salsa and pickled red onion. There was an aggressive amount of onion, so I picked some of it off. We also got the Mar y Tierra, with grilled marinated skirt steak, Tecate battered rock shrimp, Sriracha aioli and BACON (!!!!!) guacamole.

It should be no surprise that I preferred the steak & shrimp tacos - who doesn't love sriracha mayo AND bacon AND guacamole? YUM!

This is a great restaurant and if the weather is nice, you can sit outside! I love people watching and seeing everyone dressed up getting ready to go out on the town. Great vibe!

Cheers,

Liz

Celebrating Follies 2014

May 20, 2014Dinner, Desserts, Drinks, Happy Hour, Mexican, SeafoodLizComment

A Mexican Fiesta at Agave

We had an incredible Follies this year - the Torchy Awards! We wanted to take the cast out to celebrate with a fun dinner. Naturally, I was all over planning this event and picking the restaurant. I chose Agave (http://agaveny.com/) because I love this place. The food, drinks and atmosphere are awesome.

We had a 7pm reservation and I arrived a bit early...so I ordered a mango margarita - my favorite here! Gotta love that happy hour pricing! BOOM!

Once we were all assembled, we had to take a group shot! What a beautiful group of funny people - so proud to be a part of this amazing cast!

Naturally, we had to order the guacamole! It is so yummy here and served in an edible bowl. I love that they refill your chips - it is critical to maintain the right guac to chip ratio.

**Oh, hey there - get in my mouth now!**

We also got sweet potato fries to split - served with a chipotle mayo. I'm sure you are aware of my love of mayo, so this was so yummy!

I ordered the Enchilada Mariscos, stuffed with Gulf Shrimp, Lump Crab, sautéed cabbage, queso cotija and salsa verde. Yummy. I did have some meal FOMO when I saw what Mike ordered: the Duck Enchiladas! I sampled a piece and it was soooooo good. NEXT TIME!

We ordered several pitchers of frozen margs - awesome call. We also got three desserts to share. My favorite was the molten chocolate cake! The banana thing was ok, but honestly, I'm not a huge banana person (unless it is the cupcakes at Sugar Sweet Sunshine!). The tres leches was good too, but nothing to write home about.

**Molten Chocolate Cake - WINNER WINNER!**

You know I love Agave. If you trust my taste, do yourself a favor and visit! Come early for happy hour at the bar, then get seated for dinner.

Cheers,

Liz

U(nami Burger) talking to me?

May 18, 2014American, DinnerLizComment

Finally Visited this Burger Mecca!

Last Monday, after Melissa finished up Brand Strategy, we met up for a late night dinner. We had been meaning to check out Unami Burger (http://www.umami.com/umami-burger/eats/umami-greenwich-village/) and this was the perfect occasion!

**PREACH (also, is it just me or do those buns look like lips?)**

It is a short distance from campus, so we just walked there. Since it was past the dinner rush (9:30pm), we were seated right away. This place understands how scrumptious truffles are and there is an entire section ("Truffle'd") devoted to three burgers featuring this precious ingredient. I wasn't sure what to order - so much pressure to get the right thing! - but I ended up with the Truffle Burger. It is a beef burger with roasted garlic aioli, truffle cheese and truffle glaze. Melissa got the same thing - great minds!

We ordered the sweet potato fries and thin fries. We decided to "Unamify the fries" by "Truffle 'em" with truffle cheese and truffle salt.

**Sweet Potato and Potato = Best Friends**

You may be able to see that the sweet potato fries have what looks like brown sugar on them. I completely missed on the menu that they have a "sweet salt" on them. I love sweet potato fries but I don't like sweet toppings on them. Our server was kind enough to bring us a replacement without the topping, even though it was my fault. Great service! Unami gives four dipping sauces.

**Garlic Aioli, Hot Sauce (eek), Jalapeno Ranch, House Ketchup (a bit sweet than Heinz)**

If you know of my love of mayo and garlic, the Garlic Aioli was naturally my favorite. After we consumed all the truffles we could handle for the evening, we were DONE - no more food - nada! I am always curious to see the dessert menu, so our server brought it over.

The sea salt caramel shake sounded delish, but I had to pass. Maybe next time! Also, I think in the future I will just order one item with truffle, it was a bit too rich, which is saying something coming from me, ha!

This is a solid burger spot! It also features special burgers regularly from famous chefs, so make sure to visit the website to see that the special is!

Cheers,

Liz

Dinner in the Garden

May 12, 2014Dinner, Italian, Wine, OutdoorsLizComment

La Lanterna di Vittorio Offers Excellent Italian in Greenwich Village

I love spending time with Aish - we met in a class we had together last semester with our mutual friend Michelle.

We all caught up briefly at beer blast (the weekly happy hour Stern hosts in the building basement) and then Aish & I headed to dinner. I am currently reading a great book (Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan) and two of the main characters are professors at NYU! In the book, they were set up by a mutual friend and had their first date at La Lanterna di Vittorio (http://lalanternacaffe.com/), an Italian restaurant with an enclosed garden right near campus.

I am a huge fan of reading (especially guilty pleasure books such as this one) and even a bigger fan of exploring new restaurants - I knew I had to check this spot out! We each ordered a glass of red wine: the Carmenere Cab. It was delicious and under $10.

We decided to split two items: pizza and lasagna. Since Aish is a vegetarian, we stuck to items both of us could enjoy and ethically enjoy :)

For our pizza, we ordered the Pizza con Cipolla e Caprino (topped with goat cheese, caramelized onions, walnuts and extra virgin olive oil).

Do not be deceived - those slices that LOOK like sausage are caramelized onion! The pizza was super delicious EVEN without meat! It was thin-crust and made to order. I'm glad we split it so we could try two different items.

The other entrée we split was the Lasagna Quattro Formaggi with Black Truffle Paste! NOM! It was like a cheese explosion accented with truffle yumminess

**See that truffle goodness? Are you drooling yet?**

The lasagna was delicious! I took a bite and burned my mouth off - so be cautioned food is served HOT here. Also, I didn't realize this had no tomato in it so when compared to the pizza dish, there wasn't much contrast (cheese vs. more cheese). Next time, I would order the pesto one or meat sauce (damn vegetarians! hehe).

The garden were we sat is beautiful - the rest of the dining space seems a bit dark/cramped, so the outside area is wonderful.

I highly recommend this spot: the prices are right (most pizzas are $12-$14 depending on toppings) and the ambiance is awesome.

Cheers,

Liz

Taking the 1 Train to Ramen

May 5, 2014Dinner, Japanese, RamenLizComment

Harlem has some DAMN GOOD Ramen!

Last Sunday, I headed to Jin Ramen (http://www.jinramen.com/menu with Lilian and Megan. It was a bit of a trek (took about 30 minutes door to door) but certainly worth it! We saw Jin on a "10 Best Ramen in New York" list and knew we had to check it out! http://www.tastingtable.com/entry_detail/nyc/16860/10_Best_Ramens_in_New_York.htm

As an appetizer, we ordered the steamed pork buns, stuffed with chashu pork, iceberg lettuce and spicy mayo!

The pork buns were absolutely delicious and not too fatty; this may have been a function of the slices of pork we got though. I love the buns at Ippudo and Totto slightly more. I'd be happy to eat any of these at this moment though :)

For my Ramen, I ordered the type that was praised on the list: the Spicy Tonkotsu (pork bone) Ramen. According to the site, "Tonkotsu ramen is the richest and most complex of our ramen broths, and has its roots in Fukuoka. The creamy white soup comes from boiling pork bones, over high heat for hours on end, releasing the rich, hearty flavors of the marrow into the broth." Can you say YUM? The spicy version is blended with the house special spicy mayu sauce (spicy soybean and roasted garlic paste) & rayu (spicy sesame oil). I wasn't sure how spicy it would be, so I ordered the spicy part on the side and mixed it on my own.

I ended up dumping all of the spicy sauce into it. This was absolutely heavenly! I loved the soup spoon it was served with as well - it made it easier to deal with the noodles. Also, I added corn (get more veggies) and added more chashu, because I love that pork goodness!

Although this place is located in a neighborhood I'm not that familiar with (Harlem), it has motivated me to come up here and explore more! The train ride is fairly simple (Jin is RIGHT under the 1 train stop!) and the food is fairly incredible.

Cheers,

Liz

The Meatball Shop!

May 2, 2014Dinner, Italian, AmericanLizComment

Late Night Eats

After drinks at Whitehall, some of us continued the celebrating and headed to The Meatball Shop (http://themeatballshop.com/locations/#64-greenwich) for dinner. I LOVE THIS PLACE! Especially for late night dining.

My favorite "balls" are the spicy pork! I ordered them as the "Naked Balls" with the spicy meat sauce and a side of Parmesan cream sauce. I feel that the combo of the meat and cream sauce is the ultimate! I chose to get them served over rigatoni.

**Spicy Balls with spicy meat sauce and Parmesan cream**

This is an awesome spot with great priced food, awesome drinks and incredible special features each day. There are multiple locations in the city, so there is likely a place close to you regardless of location!

Cheers,

Liz

The Sushi Keeps Coming at Kumo!

May 2, 2014Dinner, Japanese, SushiLizComment

All You Can Eat Sushi!

Last week, my block (yay Block 3) at Stern got together to share food, drinks and fun. Last year, we had a really great time at Kumo Sushi in the West Village (http://www.yelp.com/biz/kumo-sushi-new-york-2) so we went back there!

The all-you-can-eat deal is either ~$25 for just the food or ~$35 for food AND sake/beer. Be forewarned that although the sushi is good (it isn't Nobu quality but you also won't get sick) the beer and sake sort of suck. Also, the sake is served in a massive pitcher, so if you don't pay attention, you MAY think it is water and chug it. Again, that may be part of your strategy, so you do you.

Some of my favorite things to order include: the miso soup, avocado salad, spicy girl roll and sexy roll. This place is a such a deal - I've gone here 3x and haven't gotten sick. Also, the sushi tastes very fresh, which is almost surprising giving the low price point; must be a volume play!

I recommend checking this place out if you're down going somewhere that can get noisy/rowdy, especially on the weekend. This is directly correlated to the unlimited alcohol!

Cheers,

Liz

Italian at Otto

May 2, 2014Dinner, Italian, WineLizComment

A Tasty Meal in the West Village

I got to catch up with one of my favorites, Aish, last week! We've both been bogged down by school and we haven't been able to catch up. What better way to spend time together than over glasses of red wine and yummy Italian food? Otto Enoteca Pizzeria (http://www.ottopizzeria.com/restaurant.cfm) is right near campus, so it was the perfect place to go to!

We split the Baby Spinach, Ricotta Salata and Truffle Honey salad. It was delicious! If anything, it may have been a bit overdressed, but it was very tasty.

**Truffles are now a required part of salads**

I ordered my favorite pasta from Otto, the Carbonara. It was tasty but not as much as I remembered.

Aish ordered the pizza and she was pleased with it. This is a really fun, casual Italian spot. It is low key and the quality far exceeds the price points.

Cheers,

Liz

OH...You have a Living Social Deal...

April 28, 2014Dinner, New American, WineLizComment

An Experience at De Santos Leaves Much Desired

A week or so again, Melissa and I tried our luck at De Santos (http://desantosnyc.com/). We had never been but there was a great deal on Living Social, so we snapped one up. I'm always hesitant about deals because I've gotten burned before with Groupon...but this wasn't Groupon! I had my eyes on certain menu items so it was exciting that we would each get to pick an appetizer and an entrée as well as two glasses of wine each! OR....so we thought! Once we arrived, we shared with our server that we had the Living Social deal. I guess this is fairly popular option since they had a separate pre-printed menu. Most of the entrees on the menu are in the same price range, so we thought we could pick up to a certain value and then just pay the difference. Apparently, that was wrong. So, our options were limited to 2 appetizers and 3 entrees.

I'm always down to try Mac and Cheese, so the Truffled option wasn't a big deal to be "forced" to order. I would have preferred a different appetizer (I read RAVE reviews on Yelp! for the Beef Carpaccio), but I was being flexible. For my entrée, I wanted to swordfish or the duck, but went with the salmon as it seemed the most appealing to me at the time.

**Even with the coupon, at LEAST we got the same yummy bread!**

As we waited for our courses, I was pleased that the bread was fantastic. I got a bit scared we wouldn't get it because it wasn't explicitly listed on our Living Social deal, ha! The bread was served warm with a honey butter - SO good!

**Truffle Mac and Cheese but not really**

This Mac and Cheese was SO SAD. It was as if the pasta was just in a big bucket and they slopped some into an individual serving dish. Typically, places finish it off in the oven so it gets a nice crust. I'm not sure if the presentation suffered because we had the Living Social deal or if they just executed poorly. Either way, it could have been so much better.

The salmon was quite good. It was cooked to the right temperature (medium) and the Greek salad served with it went nicely with the dill cream sauce. While it was good, I probably would have preferred a different entrée.

For the wine, we could pick a house red or white. The red was just fine, but I guess it was the quality you'd expect with a Living Social deal.

I'm undecided if I will return. I'm not sure if these restaurants realize that through a deal, many customers are experiencing the restaurant for the first time. If I paid full-price, I'm not sure I would be pleased with the money spent.

Cheers,

Liz

Pizza "Making" and Wine Night

April 21, 2014Dinner, Italian, WineLizComment

Visiting New York Vintners for a Lovely Weekend!

Last week, I went with a group of Sternies to New York Vintners (http://www.newyorkvintners.com/) for a night of pizza "making" and wine. The reason I used the quotes is because I was much more focused on appreciating the fine wines we were offered (featured below) than getting my hands dirty. I loved both of the reds, the sparkling and the first white wine. The Chardonnay didn't do it for me.

Some of the attendees got in on the action. I am typically all about this type of activity. I love cooking! That night, I took a back seat because I wanted to relax and catch up with some of my friends that were there (Katharine and her lovely boyfriend, Dan, for example).

**The ingredients! Cheese, chicken, veggies and more CHEESE!**

We had a variety of pizzas made! My favorite was the confit chicken with Boursin cheese. It was DELICIOUS! I had more than one slice for sure - oops! The other ones offered were roasted veggie and roasted pork with blue cheese and bbq sauce. The veggie one was nice. The pork one was ok - the pieces were a bit huge and unwieldy to eat. Smaller pieces of meat would have been a lot better.

My main criticism would be no dessert. I am a sweets gal and would have loved a dessert pizza! This would have been a nice touch. While people were making pizza, I saw cookie dough. I was silly to think it was for us. It was merely a tease for another event. Not cool!

Even though my sweet tooth was not satisfied, I still recommend this spot and would love to go back. Events range in price from $30 to $75 (majority at this price point), so you can find something in your price range: http://www.peek.com/widget/calendar/530ffd60c41aae6def001bc0

Cheers,

Liz

Totto Ramen 2.0

April 20, 2014Dinner, Japanese, RamenLizComment

The New Location is Right Next Door to the Original - How Convenient!

I met up with Lauren, a lovely classmate of mine, to catch-up over dinner. Lauren recently moved into a new apartment with her boyfriend, another classmate of mine, in Hell's Kitchen. She suggested a spot right near her place: Totto Ramen (http://tottoramen.com/). This well-known ramen spot recently opened up a second location (464 W 51st St, btw 10th and 9th Ave) right near its first location (366 W 52nd St, btw 9th and 8th Ave). Luckily, the crowds haven't gotten to this new spot just yet, so we were able to get a table at 7pm with no problem.

Before we dug into the ramen, we split an order of the pork buns. They were utterly sinful! The pork is melt-in-your-mouth heavenly meat. It is by no means a lean cut of meat. The fat is what makes it so tasty. I'm not normally into aggressive amounts of visible fat (unless it is bacon) but this is something I will welcome with an open mouth. Delicious - a must try if you're here! I thought it was as good as, if not better, than Ippudo.

For my ramen, I ordered the Miso. It looks a bit odd since a scoop of miso and ground pork sit on the top of the bowl. Don't be scared! Just take your chop sticks and mix it in! I tend to prefer Spicy Miso Ramen, but that wasn't offered. To make my own, I ordered a side of rayu. This is spicy sesame oil. It really adds a depth of flavor and isn't overly spicy. If you haven't tried Miso, I HIGHLY encourage it! Lauren doesn't typically order it, but once she tasted the broth, she is now a converted believer!

Also, I used to be scared of the "egg in the soup" thing. Don't be! The egg is perfectly cooked here! The yolk is slight set without being hard or too runny. It has a delicious taste from the soup. Trust me! I was scared too, just go for it.

This is a fantastic ramen spot. If you want to go, you know you have someone willing to join you!

Cheers,

Liz