the constant hunger

My Birthday Dinner

Yesterday I celebrated a rather important birthday. Though I was a little depressed about reaching this milestone, I did spend the day doing things that helped ease the pain. It involved pink champagne, Chanel and stuffing my face at Minetta Tavern. 

{The wall is covered with photos of past guests.}

I have been wanting to go to Minetta Tavern for quite some time now, but it's still a hot spot so getting reservations is kinda hard. Luckily my husband took care of that a couple months ago. 

{Beef, beef and three pieces of bone marrow. }

We started out with crab salad and stuffed squid and then prepared ourselves for the main event. A gigantic portion of cote de boeuf served with bone marrow...for two. It was tasty, but if you do decide to order this Flintstones portion of meat, make sure you are at least three people eating it. I am still in a food coma. I couldn't even order dessert. I can't even finish this post...

Happy cooking! 

Best Pizza Joint Ever

I am not the biggest pizza fan. Sure, I'll eat it and usually enjoy it, but I'll never suggest going out for pizza or crave it. And the only kind of pizza I'll eat is thin crust. Give me a slice with stuffed crust or any other mutation and you'll end up with a pizza pie in the face. 

Even though my relationship with pizza is more of a like affair than a love affair, I was itching to go to Motorino. I had read too many articles about it and too many rave reviews to ignore. Plus, it's only a few blocks away from home. The first time I went was with a group of friends. With only seven pizzas on the menu, we ordered every one Motorino offered. The clear winner for me was the cherry stone clam pizza (followed by the brussel sprout and pancetta one).

{Photo: Sarah Wu, slice.seriouseats.com}

I recently went back to Motorino with my husband one chilly Friday night. The place is small, just a few tables nestled closely together. It's always hot with the pizza oven going strong so if you do head to Motorino, dress light. We ordered... The clam and brussels sprout/pancetta pizzas and split them. Big surprise.

Motorino's crust is nice and thin and has a flavor only New York pizza has. It must be the water here. The pizza arrives to the table, all blistery and fragrant. There is the perfect ratio of crust-to-sauce-to-cheese. I hate too much cheese. It's a pizza sin! My favorite part of the clam pizza is the parsley butter that is drizzled on an already decadent pizza. Hey, if I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go with a full stomach. 

Happy dining!

 

 

Champagne and French Food

Back a few weeks ago, I met up for drinks and dinner with an old friend of mine. We had lost contact when I moved out of LA many, many years ago and recently re-connected. We hadn't seen each other in about 15 years and it was like I had seen her yesterday. 

Any time friends or family come to visit, I always feel a little pressure to find the perfect spot to eat. New York has a certain culinary reputation and I want to make sure that I choose a restaurant that will wow our guests. For this particular occasion I thought some pre-dinner drinks at Flute would be perfect. Flute is a champagne bar in Gramercy that I went to with friends the day before my wedding. I have been wanting to go back ever since. My friend and I ordered a couple of glasses of champagne and then headed off to dinner. We were both starving! I need to go back to Flute on Tuesdays for their champagne happy hour. 

For dinner I thought a bustling restaurant with a lively crowd would be ideal. I love French food, and so does my friend, so we headed to SoHo for dinner at Balthazar. I have never had a bad, or even mediocre, meal at Balthazar. It took us a while to get a table, but once we started ordering and eating, we were in heaven. I ordered the duck shepard's pie and my friend opted for the trout served over a warm lentil salad. Both of our dishes were out of this world. 

My friend's dish looked easy enough to recreate at home. I did a little online searching and came across this recipe. It was pretty easy to make and you can serve it warm or cold. It also keeps well in the fridge for at least a week. Though the recipe doesn't mention this, make sure to properly rinse the lentils before adding them to the rest of the ingredients to avoid a mushy salad.

I opted for salmon in my recipe instead of trout. Simply season salmon filets with salt and pepper and drizzled with olive oil. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. Serve the salmon over a bed of lentil salad. This is a light and tasty dinner. 

Happy cooking! 

A Relaxing and Gourmet Weekend in Upstate New York

It's the beginning of another work week and I'm not my usual grumpy self. Why, you ask? Well, I had a relaxing weekend away from the loud and busy city. I celebrated my first anniversary this past weekend. My husband planned a lovely trip to a spa hotel and we couldn't be more relaxed. We rented a car and drove off into the wilderness on Friday evening. Besides getting a couple of spa treatments and taking in all that fresh country air, we also had two great dinners at some pretty cool restaurants in the Hudson Valley. So here is a little photo essay that I hope will inspire you to take a relaxing weekend trip of your own. 

Here is the gorgeous view from our hotel. We stayed at the Emerson Resort and Spa in Mt. Tremper. We stayed in one of the suites and, boy, was it ever luxurious. Since my bathtub at home isn't big enough for a nice soak, I took advantage of the huge tub in our room. 

Friday evening, after a two-hour drive, we were starving. My husband had researched a few restaurants in the area and decided to head for Cucina in Woodstock. The food was absolutely delicious. I ordered a heaping plate of bucatini amatriciana and my husband had the mixed grill (lamb chop, filet mignion, sausage...). I could barely finish my plate, but did manage to sneak a bite of the filet mignon. Cucina is a must-try if you're ever in the area. 

The next day, after our spa treatment, we decided to drive over to Hudson. Now, I've been wanting to go to Hudson for quite some time, but to be honest, I was kind of disappointed. From what I read about the town, I was expecting something a little more quaint. You know, little shops and cafes lining small streets. Instead Hudson is a small town with a gritty past. It's located near a correctional facility and it's kinda... Well, it's kinda ghetto. Sure, there are some art galleries and a couple of restaurants, but not a place you want to spend your weekend. Let's just say it's still developing. 

I had read about a restaurant that used locally-sourced ingredients and wanted to have dinner there. Since it was still 4:00, we decided to stop at American Glory, a bar and BBQ joint for some drinks and a little something to hold us over till dinner. We ordered some hot wings (pictured above) and they were the best I've ever had. A spicy homemade sauce slathered over some really meaty wings. I was tempted to stay for dinner but we headed next door to Swoon Kitchenbar. 

The restaurant was booked up with Saturday night reservations so we grabbed a seat at the bar and immediately ordered some drinks. They make a great margarita with grapefruit instead of lime. I think I'll be making all my margaritas with freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice all summer long. 

We ordered the duck liver mousse pate to start. It was tasty but a huge portion for two. As it warmed up to room temperature (it was taken out of the fridge and brought to the table), the flavor of the pate really intensified. I would've just eaten that paired with a bottle of white wine. It certainly made for a filling appetizer. 

My husband order the squid stuffed with oxtail and I continued to attack the pate. He liked it, although he said the little squid on the side was not very fresh. 

My husband also order the risotto made with local mushrooms. I am still shocked that he was able to finish the entire portion. I guess all that fresh country air gave him an appetite.

I went with the pan-seared salmon and creamy rice. The salmon was tender and flavorful although the rice was too rich for my taste. I would've preferred a lighter side dish. Overall, Swoon serves up some good food, but I think after our outstanding meal at Cucina, we were left a little disappointed. 

I am so happy that we were able to get away for the weekend and that my husband planned the whole thing. I finally got my honeymoon!

Happy cooking!  

Jazz and Cocktails

Photo from New York on Tap 

Anyone that knows me knows that I love jazz. Smooth, upbeat, it doesn't matter. I always play a little Charlie Parker or Miles Davis when I am home alone and cooking. I had read about a little bar not too far from my apartment that had nightly jazz performances following their happy hour. Happy hour drinks + jazz= a very happy me. 

Most jazz clubs I've been to have been really loud. I know, I know. It's music and it's gonna be loud, but I guess I have this romantic notion about having a few drinks with my husband, a little hushed conversation and jazz playing in the background. My new jazz spot did not disappoint. The smooth sounds of the piano meant I didn't have to shout to be heard. The walls of the bar are covered in black and white photos of old Hollywood and candles flicker on all the little tables.

Photo from Global Grasshoper

As for the drinks, they have 25 signature cocktails. My husband opted for the Green Hornet, a mix of gin, Cointreau and fresh lime juice. The long list had me confused and I opted for Prosecco instead.

All drinks are half price during happy hour and they have some good small plate options if you're hungry. We went with the artichoke dip to start. It was pretty rich and cheesy but perfect after SEVERAL drinks. We also ordered pizzas. Thin crust and crispy. 

I had been looking for a neighborhood spot for happy hour drinks and live music. I'm looking forward to going back this Friday and trying out a cocktail or two. 

Happy cocktailing!