29 March 2011

hudson valley restaurant week: recap

so as i mentioned in an earlier post, hudson valley participated in restaurant week. and while i was busy with school, my internship and work, i managed to make it to TWO of the participating restaurants.

first we went to blue, located on church street in white plains ... which is a short walk from our apartment. it was our second time at blue and it did not disappoint! it's quite the neighborhood gem. to start, the ambiance is absolutely beautiful and intimate. also, the staff was attentive and helpful with all of our menu inquiries.


i was pleasantly surprised to find that with their 28dollar dinner prix fixe there was not three but FOUR courses. talk about 'getting your money's worth'!
i started off with the arugula salad with shaved fennel, candied walnuts, gorgonzola and a meyer lemon vinaigrette. the arugula was fresh and earthy ...  i've only had fennel one other time before and, while i didn't think i would be a fan of it, the flavor combination worked well.
my second course was the braised short rib & asiago cheese ravioli served with herb brown butter, sage, pine nuts and shaved parmesan-reggiano. when i first saw the plate i was confused - where was the short rib? ohhh ... INSIDE the ravioli. who knew!? what a deliciously brilliant concoction! the ravioli was thick and perfectly cooked and the braised short rib asiago cheese stuffing was MOUTH-WATERING. the herb brown butter gave a slightly sweet taste which was balanced by both the pine nuts and sharpness of the asiago/parmesan-reggiano cheeses. i was underwhelmed with the portion size after my first bite because i wanted more!  especially since i sacrificed half of one (out of 3) ravioli in exchange to try the firecracker chicken spring rolls that my boyfriend ordered.
my third course was the herb roasted french breast of chicken with creamy polenta, roasted winter vegetables and chamomile au jus. i know, ordering chicken sounds lame but it was so good! and so was the polenta. yum, how i love polenta.
my fourth and final course was the wild berry napoleon. the puff pastry was extra crisp and layered with whipped cream, fresh wild berries and a berry sauce topped with powdered sugar.

all-in-all, blue really delivered. we first went there on new years eve and enjoyed every bite of the new american/asian fusion-esque cuisine so we knew we wanted to go back. one of the biggest complaints about restaurant week is the shrunken portion sizes, but that was not the case with blue ... not to mention an additional course? i couldn't have asked for more.

the second restaurant was fig & olive for my birthday dinner! fig & olive has five different locations one of which is conveniently located in scarsdale. the place is elegant and modern, the interior palette is warm and one of the walls is lined with bottles of different olive oils (how appropriate) & wine; and it's all tucked in amidst a shopping center. the mediterranean inspired menu was delicious.

to start, our server brought us over a tray of three olive oils with varying flavor profiles ranging from fruity to nutty to spicy. i had no there were so many different types of olive oil. the first was fruity and had a thinner mouthfeel than the other two. the second was nutty with flavors of almonds and a silky texture. the third was slightly spicy, like black pepper and sharp, with a thicker mouthfeel. the three were served with fresh rosemary focaccia.

DSCN5160

unlike blue, fig & olive stuck to the traditional and expected 3-course dinner. for my first course, i had the yellow fin tuna tartar with chive, shallot, cucumber and toasted sesame balsamic dressing served with pieces of lightly toasted bread. when it comes to food, i'm a texture eater; i like a mix of textures and prefer foods with a crunch. so because i've never had tartar before i was a little nervous there would be a lack of crunchiness but there wasn't because of the added shallot and cucumber. the tuna was light and full of flavor, which was enhanced by the sesame balsamic dressing. ... i also had a bite of the mediterranean chicken samosas. so good. the chicken, cilantro, bell pepper and scallions were mixed with greek yogurt and incased in a flaky crust served with harissa olive oil. 
my second course was - predictably - the grilled truffle chicken paillard. the free range chicken breast was marinated with thyme and served with truffle mashed potato, leek confit in olive oil and herbs in white truffle olive oil. the chicken was thin but still incredibly moist. the leeks were cooked to perfection, not too crunchy and not too mushy. the potatoes were also amazing (and purple). 
my third and final course was the chocolate pot de creme. the actual dish was practically ice cold and served with a crunchy praline financier. the chocolate and vanilla creme was sweet and creamy ... a perfect way to end the meal.

overall, i was pleased with fig & olive. unfortunately, the portions were typical of restaurant week - aka on the smaller side. but i didn't leave feeling hungry ... between the olive oil and rosemary focaccia starter and 3-course meal i was satisfied. also, fig & olive's prix fixe restaurant week menu was an appropriate representation of their standard menu, including much of their regular items ... which was good for us because we've never been there before and now have an idea of their usual cuisine.

23 March 2011

good stuff eatery: a washington dc must

good stuff eatery ... the name says it all. i first heard of good stuff eatery after the chef/owner spike mendelsohn was a contestant on bravo's top chef. having gone to good stuff only once before when i lived in DC, i knew i HAD to go back when i visited this past weekend.

good stuff

good stuff is essentially a burger place ... however, it's unlike any other burger place you've ever been to. when we got there it was a such a beautiful day we grabbed ourselves a table outside and went in to order. good stuff is a "boutique" burger place ... it's not fast food and it's not sit down; it specializes in gourmet burgers (and other burger-esque inspired cuisine). i have to admit i was more than disappointed with the service. the first time i went it was great - the place was packed, i got to meet spike and the food was excellent. this time though, perhaps because of the late afternoon awkward timing, it took us almost ten minutes to order ... and not because we were waiting in line. despite the wait it was, of course, delicious as their slogan, "say hello to fresh" is reflected in the pure quality of their ingredients. 

good stuff food

i ordered the "good stuff melt" with bacon ($6.89+1.00 for bacon). it was layered with mushrooms and caramelized onions, melted cheddar and muenster cheese with "good stuff sauce" ... it was absolutely mouth-watering. when i unwrapped the burger the cheese was literally oozing out. it was cooked perfectly. i usually eat my burgers medium, but even though this was cooked well-done, the meat was juicy. the sauce was creamy and the bacon was a perfect addition. i also shared a side of the "spike's village fries" ($3.79: enough for two); slightly soggy, which i'm a fan of, and topped with fresh thyme, rosemary & sea salt. i also sampled my friends' mint chocolate chip milkshake (featured flavor of the day) and milky way milkshake but decided on a classic chocolate.

good stuff eatery is exactly that: good stuff. and it's not just for burger lovers, good stuff also offers free range turkey and naturally farm raised grilled chicken sandwiches. and for all you vegetarians (or for your lame friends that are) there are plenty of vegetarian options as well like the "vegetarians are people too 'shroom burger" and wedge salads. so, if you're a burger lover and are in the DC area stopping by is a must! especially for those of us on a budget  - all of the menu items are under eight dollars!

14 March 2011

13 March 2011

hudson valley restaurant week

 it's the most wonderful time of the year ... for foodies! it's restaurant week!


tomorrow marks the start of hudson valley restaurant week. restaurant week, which occurs each year in many major cities, is a collaboration among participating restaurant to provide prix fixe menus for either lunch or dinner - or most of the time both. don't be fooled by the name ... restaurant week is actually two weeks from march 14-27 offering 3-course lunch menus for $20.00 and 3-course dinner menus for $28.00 (excludes tax and gratuity) 

here's a list of restaurant week tips taken from The Valley Table
  • reservations are highly recommended 
  • if you need to cancel your reservation, do so with as much notice as possible so restaurants can rebook 
  • if you have any dietary restrictions, call the restaurant before you go to ensure that one of the selections will work for you
  • arrive with a good appetite and an open mind. each chef participating will take a different approach to the menu. the most popular or signature dishes might be featured, or the chef may create an entirely new and unique menu 
  • tax and gratuity are not included in the prix fixe price. show appreciation for good service by tipping generously. *
... and make sure to arrive on time! also note that some restaurants have restrictions; some may only offer their prix fixe menu sunday-thursday or only during certain times.




for the full list of participating restaurants click here

if you have't already, i recommend creating an opentable account. it's easy & FREE. opentable is an online reservation making service that rewards the reservations you make with point values ... typically 100per reservations but occasionally, depending on the location/time 1,000. points can then be redeemed for an opentable dining cheque that can be used at any opentable restaurant. 2,000points = $20.00; 5,000points = $50.00, etc & many of the participating restaurant week restaurants are members of opentable. 


*as 
someone who works in a restaurant, i can completely empathize with those dreading restaurant week … keep in mind a typical 3-course meal can cost well over fifty dollars a person (+drinks) so please, please tip your servers generously. as a rule-of-thumb, i usually tip based on what the meal would have cost.

12 March 2011

momofuku - noodle & milk bar

momofuku -  japanese for 'lucky peach' - refers to the restaurants owned by restaurateur david chang. chang and his restaurants are known for defying traditional restaurant etiquette with their "no reservations" / "no vegetarian option" policies.

today i tried both momofuku noodle bar and milk bar for the first time. i have to admit i was little weary about noodle bar ... mostly because my only previous experience with ramen is limited to those freeze-dried packages. anyways. for our appetizer we tried the pork buns, one of momofuku's signature dishes.

momofuku noodle bar pork buns
momofuku pork buns: $10.00

they were unbelievably delicious! i've never had steamed bread or pork belly before. having been a vegetarian for 8 years, i just started eating meat again a little over a year ago and can't believe i lived my life without ever trying pork belly. the combination of the pork belly's saltiness mixed with the slightly sweet + smoky flavor of the hoisin sauce was incredible & enhanced by the crunch of the pickles.

for my entree i went with the 'momofuku ramen' ... the bowl contained pork belly, pulled pork shoulder, hand-cut ramen noodles, bamboo shoots, scallions, fish cakes (those silly looking things with a pink swirl), nori and a two-hour soft cooked egg. i also added in sriracha* sauce which brought extra heat to the bacon-infused broth.


momofuku noodle bar: momofuku ramen
momofuku ramen: $16.00

our meal was absolutely fantastic and was like nothing i've ever experienced. we could have ordered off the lunch prix fixe menu (3-course for $20.00), but the options were limited and didn't include the pork buns which was one of the reasons we wanted to go ... despite ordering a la carte, it was still relatively inexpensive. the dining experience itself it also unique. noodle bar only has about four tables + a huge high-top community table and seating at the bar. the place was full of energy and worth the thirty minute wait for a table.

*a sauce made from sun ripen chilies which are ground into a smooth paste + garlic

after practically rolling out onto 1st ave, we ventured off to find momofuku milk bar ... noodle bar's sister restaurant known for its creative & nontraditional take on sweets (they also have some savory items, like bleu cheese or kimchi croissants). since momofuku ssäm bar and milk bar are right next to each other, we accidentally (and awkwardly) entered ssäm bar, but found milk bar's entrance further down the street.


momofuku milk bar treats!
cereal milk: $5.00  + candy bar pie: $5.25

for our dessert we tried the candy bar pie. the chocolate cookie crust was filled with peanut butter, toffee, house made nougat and caramel center, garnished with pretzels and a top layer of chocolate. i have to be honest. if i was forced to choose one dessert to eat for the rest of my life, it'd probably be that. we also tried the cereal milk ... it was interesting and worth a try. but it tastes exactly like you would think and exactly like something we've all experienced before (think milk after a bowl of frosted flakes). we also brought home a sampling of their cookies. and. as you can image. i'm very excited to try them! 

momofuku milk bar cookies
bag of (6) assorted milk bar cookies: $10.00  


for more information about the momofuku restaurant group/locations/+menus click here.

08 March 2011

101 best sandwiches in NYC

i first read this article about the 101 best sandwiches in newyork back in may but it's something i've kept in the back of my mind since.




sandwiches are one of my favorite foods. and one the best things about sandwiches is. they're cheap. originally i wanted to go through the list and try all of the sandwiches (that peaked our interest) but only made it to taim, a falafel and smoothie bar in the west village ... once spring comes around i think we'll re-start our sandwich eatin' efforts.

check out the full list of "best sandwiches" here

muddy buddies recipe

simple sweets: muddy buddies. the combination of crunch and sweet is something i crave. alot. i remember munching on muddy buddies when i little but for years this quick and easy snack was lost to memory until it was revived this past christmas.

ingredients
  • 9 cups chex cereal 
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 
  • 1 1/2 cups powered sugar
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter (chunky/smooth or both!)
  • 1/4 cup butter or margine 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla 
  • 2-gallon sized plastic storage bag 
directions
  • measure out nine cups of chex cereal and put into a storage bag 
  • in a microwave safe bowl: combine chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter together. microwave on high for one minute
  • stir ingredients and continue microwaving for 30seconds or until mixture is smooth then add vanilla
  • pour mixture into storage bag to combine with cereal
  • add powered sugar, seal, and shake until well coated
  • put mixture onto waxed paper (or tin foil) to cool ... store in a sealable container in refrigerator 
affoodability: muddy buddies

for christmas, my sister and i made a slue of sweet treats including muddy buddies. when we started to make them we decided to combine both smooth and crunchy peanut butter ... other than that we stuck to the classic (easy to make and inexpensive) recipe. i would suggest maybe half-ing the recipe because using the full nine cups yields enough for a family of six + guests with some left over.

02 March 2011

50 states, 50 breakfasts: food network magazine

read more


proud to say that newjersey's best breakfast is a pork roll, egg and cheese. it's really a shame i can't find anywhere in newyork with pork roll! and, according to the article, newjersey has the more diners than any other state in the country.