Manic Monday and a Great Fall Weekend

I tried a few new restaurants this weekend, but most notably Peel and Pies N Thighs.

Peels - in Noho.  I will definitely go back and try their build a biscuit for brunch.  Love the interior and ambiance, delicious fried potato dumplings!  (Image via peelsnyc.com)

Pies N Thighs - in Williamsburg.  The best fried chicken I've had in a long time, and their biscuits were out of this world!  Crunchy on the outside, soft and flaky on the inside.  (Image via yelp.com)

It's just another Manic Monday ~ oh ooo... Happy Monday!

Anniversary: One Year in NYC!

I can't believe it's already been an entire year since we packed up the Penske truck, and drove cross country from Orange County, CA to NYC.  In one year I've:

- tried so many great new restaurants, a lot of which have been so delicious and memorable.
- learned to live and be creative with small spaces.
- cook in a tiny kitchen.
- curbed my dog.
- gone shopping galore.
- become open to branching out in my career choices.
- experienced all four seasons.
- taken advantage of the city's museums and parks.
- figured out the subway system.
... and so much more.

A few highlights from the cross country journey:
Our trust Penske truck.  Clean, and comfortable.

Adam's Fish Sandwich at Rm Seafood, Mandalay Bay.  

The Colorado Rockies.

Some corn fed beef in Nebraska.

Eating deep dish pizza from Lou Malnati's at Milleneum Park in Chicago.

Dinner at Michael Symon's Lola in Cleveland, Ohio.

Our very first meal in NYC after moving everything in, and where we plan on having our one year anniversary meal.  A couple days early, unfortunately we won't be in town.

Happy one year!  08.25.10.

Restaurant Recommendation: Lucali - Brooklyn, NY

On my second trip to Brooklyn, I had dinner at a quaint little pizzeria.  I didn't care for the rude hostess, or the silly red velvet rope across the front door, but inside, the ambience was great, and I loved the rustic design of the restaurant, and of course the most important part, pizza was delicious!  Talking to the many patrons that were sitting around waiting, it's safe to assume that you'll wait about an hour no matter what day or time of the week.

And I overheard a waitress telling her friend that Beyonce and Jay-Z frequent the place as well :)  It has to be good right?

(Image property of Daily Decorum)

March - New Restaurant Roundup

It's that time again!  To share with you, one of my favorite pastimes - eating good food at new restaurants!

Mayahuel - East Village.  Loved the tamales, guacamole and chips, and tacos.  Good drinks and atmosphere.  Would I go again?  Definitely.

Veniero's Pastry - East Village.  These canoli's look delicious right?  They're just okay... along with their "famous" almond torte.  Would I go again?  No.

Poke - Sushi restaurant in the UES.  Simple restaurant, just okay, expensive for what you get.  Would I go again?  Probably not...

Larchmont Bungalow - on Larchmont in Los Angeles.  Lovely place for brunch, delicious food, laid back.  Would I go again?  If I was in the neighborhood...

Blue Smoke - by Danny Myer in Gramercy.  There's an upstairs and downstairs, great ribs, pulled pork, and fish tacos appetizer.  Oh and don't forget the mac and cheese!  Would I go again?  Definitely!

El Paso Taqueria - Upper East Side.  Finally found a decent Mexican joint!  The nachos are great, so are the tacos, and chicken burrito.  Would I get it delivered again?  Already have!

Butter Lane - Lower East Side.  Cupcakes!  These were just okay... I thought Two Little Red Hens was much better!  Maybe because it was towards the end of the day?

Sophie's Cuban Cuisine - Midtown East.  Stopped in after a visit to the dentist, I was happy with my roast pork with rice and beans, green sauce, and mashed potatoes stuffed with ground beef.

Brgr - Upper East Side.  Burgers made from 100% grass fed beef.  Good, not great... expensive for what it is I think.  I would rather go to Shake Shack.  They offer Coke Zero though, always a plus.

All in all, it was a good month of eating.  Found a couple I wouldn't go back to, but hey ~ at least now we know!

Favorite Restaurants in Los Angeles - Part II

Part II of my favorite restaurants in Los Angeles.  After the eye opening experience at Hatfield's which I mentioned in my last post, we've been eating at all kinds of restaurants, almost every weekend.  That hour to hour and a half trek to LA became not so long as we anticipated dining at another great restaurant.  A few more...

Father's Office (no reservations so cozy up and make new friends!) - the best restaurant burger I've ever had.  You must order the F.O. burger, fries, a great beer, and for starters, the brussels sprouts, and the croquettes.  The second location in Culver City is so much easier to get to, and bigger.  It was nice when F.O. wasn't so popular in that tiny little Santa Monica location...

Comme Ca - although this restaurant doesn't have the greatest review on Yelp, they serve good French bistro food, and have great bartenders.  Test them!  Have you ever tried to make French food at home?  It takes hours!  Beef bourbuignon, coq au vin, marrow and ox tail jam... so delicious!  Plus, I love the interior design.

Bouchon - who doesn't love Thomas Keller?  Along with his classic French dishes, especially his macarons!  (This location offers macarons on rare ocassions)  Beautiful decor and ambiance, sit at the outdoor terrace once the weather is nice.  Again, just great French food.

Pizzeria Mozza - I heart Mario Batali, he is one of my favorite celebrity chefs.  The pizzas, the fresh mozzarella, the butterscotch budino... to die for!  I try to order a different pizza each time, but a lot of times, I'll order the house made sausage fennel pizza.  AND their opening one in Newport Beach!!  Perfect for Orange County.

Osteria Mozza - although right next to each other, the two restaurants are very different.  Pizzeria Mozza serves great pizzas in a more casual atmosphere, and Osteria Mozza is a one Michelin star restaurant serving excellent Italian cuisine.  You can see Nancy Silverton working the Mozzarella Bar at any given night, they cook the pastas perfectly al dente, and the seafood and meat dishes are juicy and flavorful.

Lazy Ox Canteen - went when the restaurant first opened, and back again before leaving California, I haven't tried a dish I didn't like.  It's a small plates concept in a cool, laid back atmosphere, and the small space gets pretty packed.

More worth mentioning:
Ford's Filling Station
Jar
Angelini Osteria
Bottega Louie
Drago Centro
The Bazaar
Campanile
Church and State
Fraiche
Cobras and Matadors

Still more to come...  

Favorite Restaurants in Los Angeles - Part I

I was talking about Los Angeles restaurants with a few New Yorkers, so I decided to share some of my favorites with you.  These are nicer restaurants, and reservations would be a good idea.

Lucques - has a Sunday supper that is great for a small group of people especially during the summer, and their seasonal dinner menu is excellent as well.  I love the quaint little outdoor dining area, quite romantic... and the little snack of almonds and olives they give you is very, very addicting.

Animal - where do I even start... this place is any meat lover's heaven.  The best pork chops I've ever had, and the donuts... Very small, simple restaurant, get a bunch of plates and go family style!  I would love to try the Animal guys' soon to open Son of a Gun, and still in the works Dirty Chicken one day.

Hatfield's - this one Michelin star restaurant was where I had my very first tasting menu, and what got me hooked as a foodie.  Back when they were located on Beverly Blvd., they had a 7 course chef's tasting menu that brought two different dishes out for you and your date.  So essentially, you came away trying 14 different dishes not including the amuse bouche.  Now located on Melrose Ave., and although they don't bring out different plates for each person, you still have a fantastically prepared, farm fresh seasonal tasting menu.

AOC - a great place for French/ Californian small plates and a nice glass of wine.  Love their hanger steak, bacon wrapped dates, cheeses, arroz negro, brioche with proscuitto, and cauliflower...

Providence - this two Michelin star restaurant serves perfectly prepared seafood (mostly seafood dishes), mixed with molecular gastronomy.  I highly recommend a tasting menu, you won't be disappointed!  I still think about the Santa Barbara sea urchin, the perfectly seared scallops, and the veal tenderloin...

More to come!

(Images via eaterla.com)

Pizzeria Mozza

One of my favorite chefs is Mario Batali.  I have eaten at eight of his restaurants, and loved every single one them.  Out of those eight, I've been to Pizzeria Mozza more than a hand full of times, and thoroughly enjoyed myself at every meal.  So you can imagine, I really like/ love Pizzeria Mozza... and to top it off, there's this:

It's a verticle garden with more than 20 types of herbs!  Mario Batali did acknowledge that the 72 square feet of space was not enough to feed the hundreds of people that come through restaurant each week, but still, I think it's awesome!  I would love a sausage fennel pizza and the Mozza caprese to start...