tandem bakery portland, maine - a review.

Drop me in just about any city in America and I will find the best bakery.  This is probably not the most practical of skills one can have, but I am personally pretty proud of it.  It also ensures that we eat well no matter where we go and I'm 93% sure that is one of the top 5 reasons Tyler keeps me around (it also ensures we travel to obscure parts of every city we visit to try the best bakeries which I think makes traveling all the more fun).

Last week, I finally made it to Tandem Bakery in Portland, Maine.  I've tried their treats before (yes I ask people to bring me cookies) but actually being able to visit the space that I've read so much about was such a treat (pun intended).

Tandem started off as coffee roaster and recently they branched out by creating a bakeshop to go with their most delicious coffee (their latte with housemade almond milk is awesome).  I think it's the best decision they could have ever made.  Their baked goods involve subtle riffs on the classics. Chocolate chip cookies with an abundance of flaky sea salt that leaves me thinking all other chocolate chip cookies lack salt, jalapeno cheddar biscuits that ooze cheesiness, banana bread covered in turbinado sugar and black sesame seeds (a personal favorite), and fully loaded biscuits (i.e. halved and slathered in butter and jam) which may be the greatest breakfast food ever.  It's the kind of place I wouldn't mind hunkering down in daily and if I lived in Portland, I imagine I would.

And then there are sandwiches and pie (!!) which I have yet to consume but will be consuming on our next visit.  Those make an appearance in the afternoon which means I recommend visiting once in the morning, taking a walk around Portland, and the high tailing it back there for an afternoon meal (at least that's what I plan on doing in the future).

Oh and the space is gorgeous.  An old gas station that was probably once dark and depressing has turned into a blindingly clean and minimalistic space with incredible wood counters and an equally awesome chandelier that anchors the room.  I'm ready to move in.  

woodbury kitchen: a review.

Up until last week, it had been two years since I had last visited Baltimore.  The last time I was there, I ate a lot of pretty (ok really) good bar food (the kind of stuff you should be eating on Football Sunday).  It was satisfying food - the classics done right, but it wasn't something you would necessarily go out of your way for.   

It appears, a lot can change in two years because Baltimore has turned into a bit of a destination.  The food scene is changing.  Restaurants focused on local, seasonal, regional cooking are beginning to pop-up and the restaurant that seems to be spearheading these changes is Woodbury Kitchen.  I first read about them in a post that popped up in my Instagram feed about a year ago.  They were making the kind of food I love (seasonally focused small plates) and for that reason it was added to my ever-growing list of places to visit.  

I took myself to dinner there last Monday, and for a Monday evening, in the middle of August, during a torrential summer rain, this restaurant was packed.  They hype and fervor around the restaurant is worth it.  They are doing some pretty incredible things - looking at the history of food native to the area (Crab! Rice!) and making it modern.  

But, there was one dish that below me away - their eggplant caponata.  A whole baby eggplant was roasted until tender and topped with tomatoes and roasted garlic.  It didn't mess with the classic too much - instead it elevated it and made it something new and incredibly memorable.  It made me wonder what else the kitchen is capable of.  

I will be back because I need to eat more of the menu (which is why Tyler will be coming) and really dive into what they are doing, but what I saw, I liked a lot.   Baltimore, I have a feeling we will be seeing more of each other.   

review: superiority burger.

The New York dinning scene can sometimes feel like a dog with a cone on it's head.  When a restaurant is popular or the new "it" place or super cool, it is all you will read about it.  That place will appear on the blogs, it will pop-up in your Instagram, and you will feel as if you are missing out unless you visit said place right now.   

That's how I felt when I read about Superiority Burger the vegetarian/vegan 6 seat restaurant in the East Village run by Brooks Headley the former pastry chef at Del Posto.  His veggie burger has been given quite a lot of acclaim, some have even said it's the burger that could make you swear off meat. When something gets so much press and so much hype I get nervous to try it.  What if I don't think it's as good as everyone says?  Is there something wrong with me or is there something wrong with everyone else?

What I discovered is that everyone is on the same page when it comes to Superiority Burger.  This burger is awesome. Mind-blowingly awesome.  Probably one of the best things I've eaten in a long time kind of awesome. I don't know how it's made because I've had quinoa based veggie burgers before and this is nothing like any of them.  This is hefty, it's meaty, it's seared on the outside so it practically mimics the crust of a real burger.  It's magical and I want to eat it everyday.   I almost can because if you order one to go it tastes just as good the next as it does fresh (I would know because I purchased one to go).  A real burger can't do that.  

Did I mention there are also sides?  There are sides.  Seasonal sides that change based on the market. Whatever they are, order them because they will be good.  Right now there are things like green tomato and corn salad and fingerling potato coins with crushed potato chips (you can never go wrong with potato on potato). The charred broccoli salad seems to have a permanent spot on the menu and rightly so.  It's crunchy, spicy, and the perfect accouterment to a burger.  

And then there is dessert which I foolishly didn't order but was given on the house by the incredibly sweet Brooks Headley.  (I was too distracted by the burger to think about dessert which is shocking since I never forget about dessert.)  Since pastry is his forte it isn't surprising that the cream cheese gelato and apricot sorbet with graham crumbs was incredible.  Flavors rotate.  I don't think you could go wrong with any flavor.     

The hype around the burger is well deserved and too be honest it probably deserves more because it's doing something different and different should always be praised. If you go (and you better go), you will probably see me there, drinking an Arnold Palmer (one of the better one's I've had) and waiting for some burgers and sides.  

inna jam - a review.

Now that I've been sick with the flu for the better part of 4 days, I have found myself considerable nauseated by certain foods.   Actually, I have found myself nauseated by almost all foods with the exception of toast.  Toast. Glorious toast.  Toast covered in butter and jam and a smidgen of sea salt. 

Is there a food more perfect?   

But toast is only as good as the sum of its parts which means the best butter, bread, and jam is required.  If you aren't up for making you're own bread (though I really think you should), you can find some pretty killer loaves at your neighborhood bakery (at this moment I wish I lived next door to High Street on Market so I could eat this loaf of Roasted Potato Bread every single day).  We now live in a world where high-end European-style butter can be found in almost any supermarket (woo!). So now the only thing we still need to procure is quality jam.  

Over the last couple of years, I've started making a lot of jam.  It's fun, it's easy, and it tastes a hell of a lot better then most of the jam in the supermarket.  But there comes a time (usually in December) when I run out of the homemade stuff and I start to hunt for some good packaged jam.  Usually these searches proved fruitless, but this year the tides turned.  

I bought some INNA jam when Tyler and I were out in California.  I had read about them and figured their positive reviews warranted a couple of jars a spot in my suitcase.  This proved to be an excellent decision.  This jam is KILLER mostly because it actually tastes LIKE ACTUAL FRUIT.  Not sugar but fruit! (A novel concept I know.) And not just any fruit but freshly picked, perfectly ripe fruit.  It's a revelation especially when you are so used to the world of cloyingly sweet jams.  

I may have purchased 6 years of the stuff just last week (the more you buy the cheaper the shipping is per jar!) and while some people may think such a thing is crazy, I personally find it rather sane (purchasing 10 pounds of oats on the other hand...).  I've already dipped into the Plenty Spicy Jalapeno (insane on a turkey sandwich) and the Seascape Strawberry (makes for one dreamy peanut butter and jelly) and have several more to try (once I finish the open ones as per Tyler's rules).   

Toast has never tasted had it so good.   

INNA Jam can be purchased here.  

a philadelphia food round-up.

Last week while lying in bed, I turned to Tyler and said "We should go to Philly soon, there are a bunch of restaurants I want to try."  He turned to me and said "How about this weekend?".  

(And with that, I knew I married the right guy.)

So this past weekend, the boy and I high-tailed it to Philadelphia for a 24 trip in the City of Brotherly love. Philadelphia is having a bit of a resurgence (check out #3 on the NYTimes list of places to visit in 2015).  In college, I went to Philly for cheesesteaks and the chance to go to a bar that didn't close at 1AM but now I visit so I can devour really good hummus and fried chicken and visit the science museum (my how priorities change). 

Philadelphia is very well-know for it's regional delicacies (I'm looking at you soft pretzels and the aforementioned cheesesteaks) but in the last year so many new and super exciting places have popped up that you can spend a weekend there and eat everything but what it's know for and leave SO SUPER SATISFIED.  

Below is a list of what we hit and what I am already looking forward to return to.   

1 - Dizenghoff - Hummus and only hummus is what they serve here and it's damm good hummus.  Each day they offer  a couple of varieties (Fave Bean! Chicken Shwarma!) and your hummus order comes with freshly baked pita, a seasonal salad, and some pickles.  Basically my dream meal.    

2 - Federal Doughnuts - I fell hard for Federal Doughnuts years ago and I am still in love with them because WHAT IS BETTER THEN A SHOP THAT SELLS FRIED CHICKEN AND DOUGHNUTS?! Nothing.  So yes - you can get fancy flavored doughnuts (Chocolate Mint! Grapefruit Creme Brule!).  You can hot out of the fryer doughnuts.  And you can get fried chicken in a myriad of flavors.   It's basically a fat kids version of heaven.   I am most partial to the fancy doughnuts mostly because I love anything that is declared fancy.  There is also a shop across the street from Dizengoff so you can have hummus, chicken, and doughnuts (best meal ever?).   

3 - Zahav - I basically went to Philly so I could finally eat at Zahav.  It's been on one too many best of lists and Middle Eastern food is one of my weaknesses so it was a no brainer.  Their price-fix menu is probably one of the best values I've ever encountered and I can't rave enough about the SHREDDED BEETS AND TAHINI salad (it was so good) and Squash Konafi.  The food is fun and exciting and different and perfect for sharing.   

4 - High Street on Market - We were sadly so absurdly stuffed from dinner at Zahav that we didn't get to eat one of their RAVED about breakfast sandwiches but we did manage to try a couple of pastries and some of the best homemade yogurt I have ever had.  This is the kind of place everyone wants in their neighborhood - excellent pastries, awesome salads and sandwiches, and a kick-ass dinner menu that changes regularly.  But the real reason to visit is to pick up one of their stellar loaves of bread.  I sadly missed the window to get one of their sesame tahini loaves (this just means we need to go back soon) but I did score a loaf of their roasted potato bread which is so insanely good and makes for the best toast EVER.   I will be so sad when this loaf is done.   

Philly, I am already planning a return trip...

OH! And if you are looking for a place to stay, I can't recommend the Hotel Monaco enough.  Within walking distance of some really excellent bars, Zahav, and High Street on Market.  It's also next to the Liberty Bell if you are looking to do some sightseeing (which is a good idea since spending 24 hours eating sounds better in theory then in actuality).   

Picture is of the EXCELLENT ginger yogurt at High Street on Market.   

review: arcade bakery.

In my never ending quest to discover the best that New York has to offer, it took me all of 3 days after reading about Arcade Bakery located in the HALLWAY OF AN OFFICE BUILDING IN LOWER MANHATTAN to actually visit it.   The fact that it was located in one of the most inconspicuous and unlikely bakery locations in the city is what initially sold me on it (I love places that feel secret and known only to me). But then I read about the bread (dreamy baguettes and fresh pizza) and despite my best intentions to avoid carbs the week before my wedding, I may have visited 4 days before I walked down the aisle to stuff my face with bread and carmel apple brioche (will power isn't my think nor is sacrificing for the sake of my vanity, if there is anything that will help you survive your wedding, it's not depriving yourself of fluffy, warm bread).   

I have since been back twice and intend to visit again tomorrow and if that isn't any indication that it's some of the best bread in the city, then maybe the below descriptions of (some of) their offerings will sell you on it. 

Stollen - I stuffed this in my face as I walked to meet one of my girlfriends for lunch at Locanda Verde.  My intention was to only have a small bite (I was about to go to lunch!) but a small bite turned into the whole thing and #sorrynotsorry.   Some people love stollen, others hate it (and prefer panettone) but I fall somewhere in the middle.  Some are good, some are BAD, and others like this one are so ethereal that you will happily spend the rest of the day walking around New York with a trail of powdered sugar down the front of your coat.   Sweet but not absurdly so, chock-full of the best dried fruit, and a decent amount of almond flavoring, it's tender and perfect.  I am wishing I had a piece right now.      

Chocolate Almond Croissant - Tyler and I share a chocolate almond croissant practically every Saturday morning.  It's our weekly ritual and I love it almost as much as I love him.  The croissants from our neighborhood bread shop are good and I love them because of the nostalgia I associate with our ritual but the chocolate almond croissant at Arcade is INSANE. This is no light and dainty croissant.  It's full of almond and chocolate and encased in the flakiest of all croissant shells.  I am smitten, obsessed, and waking up early to get one before work tomorrow.  

Chocolate Bread - I don't know if dessert toast is a thing, but if it was I would only want it served on this bread. A cocoa based bread is filled with chunks of dried cherries and oranges and more chocolate.  It's decadent but not so heavy that you feel as if you are going to die.  I like it served with nutella and cherry jam (yes I am a glutton) but a swipe of salted butter would be epic.  And if you have any left MAKE BREAD PUDDING.  You can thank me later (recipe coming soon!).  

Caramel Apple Brioche - I think the picture says just about everything, don't you?  (If not - caramel apples are nestled in homemade puff pastry - sweet, tart, flaky, deliciousness.)  

So yeah.  It's that good and I suggest going as soon as you can.  

(If you are lucky (due to it's proximity to City Hall), you may catch a couple celebrating their marriage.  And while I loved our wedding, I would have been pretty happy to have it be the 2 of us at City Hall and a couple of chocolate almond croissants and a coffee to celebrate.   Especially one of THOSE croissants.)

taim: a review.

While I do cook a lot, ethnic food is not something I make as often as I would like.  The sad truth is venturing into the world of Thai, Indian, and Middle-Eastern cooking usually requires a whole slew of ingredients that my teeny-tiny kitchen can't hold.  This isn't too say I haven't dabbled in it, but considering my love affair with the cuisines of the world, I haven't had the opportunity to really deep-dive into them.  Someday..

The plus side of all of this is that I don't feel bad about eating out at ethnic restaurants.  They are making me things I can't make as easily for myself so OF COURSE I can validate us getting take-out from the Indian restaurant in our neighborhood (even though I am 90% sure they hate me there). As of late, I've been on a falafel kick and while I've made them at home (and blogged about them here), there is something incredibly awesome about not having to deal with deep frying.  Plus at a falafel place you can get a whole slew of accouterments that you would never have available to you at home (Israeli salad! Roasted beets!) and while I have many go-to spots in the city, the one that consistently kills it is Taim.

Taim was started by the woman also manages Balaboosta (home of some of the greatest hummus I have ever eaten) and Bar Bolonat (currently on my long list of places to visit) but it's their teeny-tiny falafel store-fronts (SoHo and the West Village) that I constantly return too.  There is an ever rotating variety of falafel flavors and a selection of salads that leaves me overwhelmed (how can I pick just one?!) and absurdly happy (I love all the choices).  The falafel is always fried to order which makes them incredibly crispy and perfect for nestling in a pita with hummus (some of the best), salads galore, tahini, and hot sauce (lots of hot sauce).  Probably the best sandwich in the city for $6.50.

top 3 san francisco sweets (on this trip!).

Tyler and I spent a blissful week on the west coast doing not much more then wandering around aimlessly, consuming massive amounts of really delicious food, and watching the Wire (such a good show). Only on your honeymoon can you get away with such a schedule.

We ate a lot of really good food but it was the sweets that really caught my attention this time around. Below are the favorites and the items I will be dreaming about (and looking to potentially recreate now that I have so much wonderful time on my hands.)

1 - Banana, Chocolate, Almond Croissant from b.Patisserie - Be still my heart this was amazing.  Delicate yet hefty, sweet but not cloyingly so, it is a croissant a French person would probably turn their nose at which just means there are more for me to eat.  I will continue to dream about this and the entire pastry case of amazing desserts.  I regret not purchasing the pumpkin kougin but I needed to exhibit some restraint.

2 - Cherry Cornmeal Rosemary Doughnut from Dynamo Donut - Tyler and I both agreed this was one of the best doughnuts we've ever had and that's saying a lot since I am a bit of a doughnut fiend (as evidenced by the doughnut bar at our wedding).  It kind of tasted like a cross between a doughnut, a cake, and a panetone which means it was dreamy and wonderful.

3 - The Passionfruit Dessert (and in particular the chocolate passionfruit sandwich cookies) from SPQR - Everything we ate here was incredible (squash and chestnut tortelli with cherry jus!) but the passsion fruit panna cotta with 2 mini chocolate passionfruit curd sandwich cookies, stole the show.  The panna cotta somehow managed to be both perfectly tart and sweet in the same bite but the cookies were everything. Soft bittersweet chocolate cookies sandwiched passionfruit curd.  A version of this cookie will be on my holiday list this year.

review: henry public.

As much as I love fancy-shmancy beautifully plated we need to be dressed up to eat dinner kind of meals, at my heart I am a pizza or burger and beer kind of girl (best eaten while wearing worn in jeans and a tee). Follow it up with some ice cream and chocolate chip cookies and you pretty much have my ideal date (Tyler, I hope you have taken note).  When Tyler and I decided to trek to Brooklyn this past weekend in search for the ideal wedding cake(s) (we think we found them), I decided it only made sense to turn the trip into an adventure and stop for the world's best burger (followed by some of the best ice cream).  

 It's Yes, I said world's best burger.  

There is a place in Brooklyn called Henry Public that if you were to walk by it your would think it was just another neighborhood bar.  Yes, it is a neighborhood bar, but it is so much more then just a bar.  It's a place that serves drinks and really elevated and really incredible food.  It's the kind of place I wish I lived around the corner from though if I did my burger consumption would increase drastically.  

The burger is life changing.  The first time I had it I realized I never knew what a good burger tasted like.  Grass-fed freshly ground free range beef is cooked to perfection (medium-rare please) and topped with the most incredible aged cheddar.  It's served on a toasted bun with the crispiest of french fries.  It's simple and timeless and exactly what a burger should be.  No frills.  No toppings.  Just meat and cheese and bun. It's the burger for burger purists (which is what I am).  

If you are fortunate enough to dine with a companion who is willing to eat something other then a burger, might I steer you in the direction of the turkey leg sandwich?  The same sandwich mentioned in NYMag's latest cheap eats issue.  It's kind of epic and incredibly delicious and super messy in the best possible way.  I happily shared my burger with the boy in exchange for a couple of bites of his sandwich (and considering my affinity for this burger I think this goes to show how good the turkey sandwich is).

Did I mention the inside of the restaurant is like an old-timey civil war bar?  Well it is and it's awesome.  

101 cheap eats.

NYMag (one of my all time favorite reads) rounded up the 101 Best Cheap Eats in NYC and it's a pretty epic list.  

Of the 101 I've only eaten at 15 which is a pretty terrible showing on my part! 

Black Seed Bagels (Meh.)
Porchetta (Yum.)
Pok Pok NY (I preferred the cocktails to the food.  Is that weird?)
Parm (Always and forever a personal favorite.)
Roberta's (Just the pizza thus far which means I need to try all the other things.)
Sullivan St. Bakery (This bread. Divine.)
Bread's Bakery (My one true love.  The rye bread, the marizapan rugelach, the chocolate babka all makes me weak in the knees.)
Best Pizza (A perfect old school New York slice.)
Court St. Grocers (Perfect sandwiches. They comforted me after the hurricane.)
Bark (Hot dogs.  Really, really good hot dogs and burgers and fries and shakes oh my.  One of my favorite places.)
Mighty Quinn's BBQ (The BEST BBQ in NYC.  Oh the brisket.)
Red Hook Lobster Pound (Good but I prefer Luke's.  Personal preference.)
Henry Public (The BEST BURGER. Period.  The fries are superb as well.)
Victory Garden (Swoon worthy ice cream made of goat's milk!)
Artichoke Basille's Pizza (Go for the Grandma slice and only the grandma slice.)

My new goal is to hit 50.  I think 50 is a reasonable number.  More then that and I will probably regret my decision (and get fat).  First up! El Quinto Pino.  (I'll be seeing you this weekend because tapas, I love you).  If anyone wants to join me on any of these adventures, I would love the company.  

Oh and a return visit to Henry Public is for sure in order.  Because it's summer and burgers and summer go together like pasty skin and suntan lotion.  

(The picture is from NYMag and it's basically just some of the unreal offering's from Breads Bakery. BABKA)  

flour bakery, boston: a review

While I adore Boston for many reasons, the number one reason is Flour Bakery. Flour Bakery is everything I wish that we had in New York.  A friendly neighborhood place that you can go to for a solid breakfast (both gluttonous and healthy breakfast options are available depending on your mood) or an absurdly delicious lunch. (I have an unhealthy obsession with their grilled roasted chicken sandwich with brie, arugula, roasted peppers, and caramelized onions.  It may be my favorite sandwich of all time.  Why do so many places suck at making sandwiches with the perfect ratio of ingredients?  Flour does not suck at making sandwiches which is why I wish I had one right now.  Sorry for that long sandwich rant.)

Let's now discuss the real reason to visit Flour.  Homemade Oreos.  My Oreo obsession reached an all time high after I had one from Flour for the first time. They are larger then then the originals which is probably why I like them so much.  And also because the cookie is a touch more tender making them perfect for splitting in half (if you are nice enough to share which I usually am not).  While I adore the Oreos, I should also mention that their ginger molasses cookie is a game changer (how do they make them so soft and chewy?), the granola bars weigh as much as a small child (chock full of oats and dried fruits making them oh so filling), and their carrot cake is heavenly and the furthest thing from being considered cloyingly sweet.  I have yet to try their entire menu but on each subsequent trip I make an effort to try something new since everything is so good.  If they opened one in New York, I would be insanely happy.  

(I can't rave enough about her cookbook either.  It's my go-to whenever I am looking for a sweet recipe.)

review: ample hills creamery, brooklyn

Yesterday the boy and I took an "us" day to Brooklyn.   We had a leisurely lunch where we sat in a booth by the window and ate roast beef and turkey club sandwiches while drinking beer and pathetically worked to solve the NYMag crossword puzzle (I am being generous in saying we got about 1/12th of the words).  We shopped in Sahadi's, the middle-eastern market that I adore more then anything and then we took a long walk from Cobble Hill to Prospect Heights in search of the ice cream sundae I've read so much about.  Said ice cream sundae can be found at Ample Hills Creamery which looks and feels like the quintessential ice cream shop.  It's the furthest thing from pretentious (there are toys a plenty in the back and crayons and paper in the front) with a case of flavors that cater to both children (Cotton Candy!  Ooey Gooey Butter Cake!) and adults (Pistachio Squared! Autumn in New York!).  But the reason for our trip was to try the famous Salted Crack Caramel as well as the ice cream sundae that many have devoured in under 5 minutes. 

The Salted Crack Caramel is an adult caramel ice cream.  It has an incredibly deep and smoky flavor almost veering on burnt, but just shy of reaching that point.  The salty brings out the inherent sweetness and keeps it from being cloying.  But the best part of the ice cream is the chunks of crack cookies which are essentially dark chocolate covered buttery saltines.  They are truly crack and I contemplated buying some to take home (for research purposes of course) but thought better of that for fear I would become addicted.  

As for the sundae, it was everything a sundae should be.  A dense, fudgy, deeply chocolaty brownie is topped with the ice cream of your choice (we went with coffee cookie), hot fudge sauce, homemade whipped cream, and rainbow sprinkles.  It is truly epic, the kind of sundae little kids dream of and adults are nostalgic for.  It's the perfect size to share and it makes for incredibly wonderful way to spend a vacation day.  

We have plans to head back since I desperately want to go back and try The Munchies (Pretzel infused ice cream with clusters of potato chips, pretzels, Ritz crackers, and mini M&Ms!)

taco fever.

I took a sneak peak at the dinning section in tomorrow's New York Times and it's an issue all about Tacos.  

Tacos! 

The boy likes to joke with me that we are part Mexican due to the fact that we eat tacos with such regularity. It is true that we eat tacos a lot, more then most, mostly because I can't get enough of them.  Tacos are easy. They are handheld packages that can be stuffed with any and every variety of filling. Spaghetti squash, black beans, carnitas, skirt steak, fish, cheese, the list goes on. They are a complete meal and an absurdly satisfying meal.  Tacos are comforting.  Tacos, second only to pizza are my favorite food.  

Good tacos are hard to find.  Some are so overly stuffed it's impossible to bring taco to mouth without filling landing on your lap.  Some are too delicate and cute that eating them feels wrong.  But some tacos are glorious.  The tortilla encases the perfect amount of filling, there is hot sauce a plenty to pour on top.  It's a perfect 4 bite affair.  

The best taco I had as of late was at Los Tacos No. 1 in the Chelsea Market.  Their adobada quesadilla was an un-tradional quesadilla that was served open face.  It was salty and sweet and the kind of thing all tacos should be but few rarely are.  

If you can't make it too the Chelsea Market, there are more taco recipes on this blog then should be allowed. Take your pick, you wont be disappointed.  Now I'm off to figure out when our next taco night will be.  

chipotle chicken, corn, and avocado tacos.
fish tacos with peppadew tartar sauce.
spaghetti squash and black bean tacos with queso fresco.
tacos al carbon.
tacos with carnitas and pineapple salsa.
tacos with chroizo and potatoes. 

dickson's farmstand meats.

This roast chicken from Dickson's Farmstand Meats in the Chelsea Market is the thing fall dreams are made of.  

Last week when I was in Baltimore, I had a rather in-depth conversation about roast chicken and why I hate the roast chicken's the sell at the supermarket mostly because the roast chickens in the supermarket are nothing like this.

Roast chickens from the supermarket are generally flavorless factory-farmed birds and as someone who looks to make ever meal better then the last, I can't bring myself to eat super market roast chicken.  It just isn't worth it for me.  This is the reason why I seek to procure meat from only reputable sources when I do eat it.  My go to for meat in NYC is Dickson's Farmstand. Their quality and flavor is unparalleled to what you can find in other markets. Their bacon makes me swoon, their roast beef is rich and meaty, their pork and beef are well marbled with an incredible flavor, and their sausage is the only sausage I will eat (the chorizo is magical).  Do they cost more then what's at the supermarket? Duh.  But I would rather eat less meat if it means eating meat of higher level of quality.  So the boy and I eat vegetarian a lot and have meat exist as a splurge.  

This roast chicken costs $16 which is double (I think?) what the supermarkets sell it for, but my god it's the best $16 spent.  And I have bones for chicken stock! (Because when you buy a bird like this you use every last bit  of it.)

Oh and they have really good sandwiches if you are looking for an excellent to-go lunch to eat on the High Line!

review: blue hill at stone barns.

I’ve spent the better part of the last 72 hours trying to figure out how to describe the meal the boy and I had at Blue Hill at Stone Barns this past Sunday.  I’ve struggled with the words because all I have are words and a couple of pictures to use to try and evoke the feelings that I had about that meal. 

The meal was nothing short of extraordinary. 

I have visited Stone Barns several times.  There is something magical about walking through the farms, watching cows graze on actual grass, the pigs lying in puddles of mud, the vegetables nestled in the greenhouses.  Watching the sun set there is breathtakingly beautiful.  The kind of scene a photograph can never provide justice to.   I’ve wanted to eat at Blue Hill for a while (and get married there for even longer but that's another story) now partially because Dan Barber is always spoken so highly of but mostly because Blue Hill is a restaurant that shares my feelings on food.  Food should be local, seasonal, and sustainable because food grown in that manner always tastes better. 

I won’t describe each of the 12 courses because I simply can't, it would be an impossible task.  Each course was composed of layers of flavors and textures.  Nothing tasted as it looked, instead flavors were pronounced and pure.  Bold and utterly beautiful.  Each plate came out looking like a piece of art work with droplets of vinegar that looked reminiscent of Jackson Pollack.  We were both blown away by the care and attention to detail that went into every component.  Presentation was the furthest thing from a second thought, presentation was of the utmost importance to these chefs since one eats with their eyes before they ever eat with their mouths.  I was in awe of everything.  

The meal was centered around tomatoes since we are currently in the throws of tomato season.  I ate tomatoes in every form - raw, roasted, smoked, and in a compote.  I forgot how much one can do with a single ingredient. How many ways it can be transformed.  How many ways it can taste.  I took notes under the table - dishes I wanted to try and recreate, flavors I wanted to bring into my own kitchen.  I was reminded of the importance crunchy components can bring to a dish.  (Rye breadcrumbs are my new favorite thing.)  I discovered that other people share my belief that meat does not need to be the center of a meal, instead a dish of smoky, slow cooked eggplant can take center stage.  

The moment that blew me away was when our darling waiter invited us to eat our last savory course in a different location.  I expected we were going to be taken to eat to the patio, but instead we were invited to the kitchen (the kitchen!) where I sat with my mouth agape watching Dan Barber and his team cook.  Watching a team of professionals, some of the best chefs in the industry creating beautiful food left me literally speechless.  It was truly the most special dinning experience I have ever had.  

A lot of people may question my sanity about spending so much money on a meal (heck, I think my parents do most days).  But for me it’s not a meal, it’s a 3 hour long performance art piece.  The quality and care that went into this meal cost more then what they charged us, and I wouldn't hesitate to spend it again (but not for another several months since I have yet to find a money tree).  

Blue Hill thank you for the most incredible meal.  

hudson and rhinebeck (a food lover's guide.)

The boy and I migrated north last weekend for a weekend away from the city.  I rented us a house on AirBnB (my absolute favorite site at the moment) in the adorable town of Tivoli.  I hadn’t been north to the Hudson/Rhinebeck area in years.  My parents used to take my siblings and I for day trips so we could explore a new area and they could antique.  My appreciation for such activities was at an all time low when I was 10, but now that I am 28 I can appreciate such things (sorry it took me so long Mom and Dad!). 

We filled our weekend with antiquing, eating, and exploration.  It was amazingly fun especially since there are a lot of hidden food gems up there.  Below are some of my favorites.  I strongly encourage you to make the trip up there; it’s a breathtakingly beautiful area with a lot of stuff to do (Hiking! Pick your own farms!  Kayaking on the river!)

All of the below towns are about a 20 min drive from Tivoli.  If you are looking for a place to stay I can’t recommend this place enough. 

Rhinebeck

-Cinnamon Indian Cusine: 5856 Rte. 9 – Really excellent Indian food with very sweet servers.  (The sag paneer was excellent!)

-Bread Alone: 45 E. Market St. – An excellent selection of breakfast pastries but the real reason to come is for the lunch where all there sandwiches are made on their awesome homemade bread.

-Rhinebeck Farmers Market: 61 East Main St. – This Sunday only market has an excellent selection of vendors selling a wide variety of things.  I fell for the man selling homemade honey, the tamale lady, and the butcher with locally raised pork and beef (with very reasonable prices to boot). 

-Del's Dairy Creme: 6780 Albany Post Rd. - A super old school drive up ice cream shop that makes you nostalgic for childhood.  I recomend the $3.50 ice cream sundae!

Hudson

-Café Le Perche: 230 Warren St – Let’s talk about the cheese danish I had here because it was the BEST CHEESE DANISH I HAVE EVER EATEN.  Yes it was and I am stilling dreaming about it and trying to figure out how I can get another one and really soon.  The front part of the restaurant has carry out breads and pastries, the back part is the dine-in area.  The french toast according to my other half was one of the best he has ever had (and he takes french toast seriously).

-Baba Louies: 517 Warren St – Superb thin crust sourdough pizza with a plethora of pizza toppings and unique pies that you can choose from.  They also have a gluten free pizza available if you are one of the unlucky people who can’t have gluten.  A favorite with the locals (or so it seems based on how busy they were.)

-Bonfiglio and Bread: 748 Warren St – An adorable shop with really, really, good rustic style breads (reminiscent of Tartine in San Francisco).  They also sell divine pastries and an excellent cup of coffee. 

-Hudson Farmers Market: 6^th and Columbia – Saturday only farmers market.  Like the Rhinebeck one there is a wonderful selection of produce and local products.  We loved the beer from the Chatam Brewing Company, the wide variety of cheeses, and the wonderful produce.  You can basically buy everything you could possibly need to make dinner (and a really good dinner it would be)!

kombucha addiction.

After reading Michael Pollan's latest book called Cooked, I realized probiotic consumption was missing from my life which is why my drink of choice as of late has been kombucha.  Kombucha in a nutshell is fermented tea that is filled with probiotics.  I realize when I describe it to people that most find the sound of it to be completely unappealing but I can't get enough of it.  It's tart and tangy like green apple carbonated soda. The flavor is utterly addicting and it's healthy! 

Probiotics are the good bacteria that helps your tummy function well.  Most of us don't get enough probiotics since we are no longer a culture of fermented and un-pasteurized foods and while I don't believe this cures everything, it's been helping me with my never ending stress tummy aches.  I've been trying all sorts of different brands - local versions made in Brooklyn, bottled versions from Whole Foods, and most recently Health Ade which is company based out of California.  All of the versions have been superb (so bubbly and tart!) but now I plan on making my own, because well I love to try my hand at making homemade versions of everything.  I will be reporting back in a few weeks (and if you aren't crazy like me you can buy some at Whole Foods.) 

paulie gee's (and finding passion).

"Going back, it wasn't about the pizza as much as creating a job for myself, that's really what I did. I was tired of working and worrying about where my next paycheck was going to come from, so I created my own job. Not enough people do that these days, not enough people are willing to take care of themselves. I think they're afraid, more afraid than ever, because they think that the economy is bad, and if they do take a chance and things don't work out, where do they have to turn? There are fewer places to turn than, say, 20 years ago. But to do something that I enjoy that's effortless for me and reaps rewards, it's an amazing thing. And I'd like to encourage more people to do that."  Paulie Gee

Maybe it’s just me, being 28 and beyond confused about where my life is going, but my god does this make me want to finally jump the corporate ship and try my hands at something that I really love.  Paulie Gee is a man with a passion.  A passion for learning a craft, for honing his skills, and a need to constantly discover and learn and figure out what works and what works better.  I met him once when my darling boyfriend took me to a celebratory dinner at his restaurant at Greenpoint, Brooklyn.  Everything about that night was special.  The room was aglow in that beautiful soft golden light that can only be achieved with a massive amount of tea lights.  The air was warm and perfumed with the scent of  salt, yeast, and smoke.  The pizza was transcendent.  In every bite you could taste the labor of love and a desire to push the boundaries of pizza toppings by combining unusual flavors (unusual salty sweet flavors making him a man after my own heart).  I was instantly smitten (the Hell Boy pizza is the best. pizza. ever.).  And then I met him and I was suddenly even more smitten.  He was the kind of guy who wanted to know everyone in the room, who liked asking questions and loved getting honest answers.  He wanted to talk and learn more in order to improve both himself and his product. He is a guy who wants to produce the best damm pizza and he does.

My dad (the only man more food obsessed them me), sent me this interview that Serious Eats had with Paulie Gee.  Reading it reminded me that at any age we can choose to change the course of our life.  That we don't need to settle for the mundane, the uninspired, or simply a paycheck.  That we can find a way to turn our passions into something more then a hobby, it can be a career, it can be your life.  I tweeted Paulie to thank him for such an inspiring interview and that I hope this will be the push I need. He reminded me the wall is paper thin. 

I encourage you to read the article and if that involves too much work (which is foolish because he discusses a lot of really good life lessons that everyone should read), then definitely get on the G train to Greenpoint and go have some pizza (and make one pizza the Hell Boy) and then if you see Paulie, tell him thanks for me.  

brunch at the dutch and more thoughts on subway tile.

They boy and I ate brunch at The Dutch this past weekend.  I've had it on my list for a while now as I adore Locanda Verde but it took a long lazy Memorial Day weekend to come a long for me to finally make a reservation.  The brunch was as I expected - wonderfully delicious especially my roast turkey sandwich which sounds probably incredibly boring but this one was done so well that it was rather extraordinary (creamy avocado and a green aioli stole my heart). (The boy in typical brunch fashion ate french toast.  He always eats french toast.)  The best part of the meal was the honey shoofly pie with green apple ice cream that I have become obsessed with.  So obsessed with that I have tweeted the pastry chef there to see if she will share the secrets.  Sadly I have gotten no response.  She clearly knows to hide a good thing.  

The restaurant shares my love of subway tire.  I've mentioned before my love of off centered tiles but the tiles at The Dutch were different.  It wasn't floor to ceiling white or even tiles of the same shape.  There was some white and some a blue that looked almost black.  Some were large and some were small.  It was cohesive yet intriguing and unique.  It made me think that things don't always need to be symmetrical and perfect.  That perfection can lie somewhere in the realm of imperfection (or maybe just in the eye of the beholder).  

The rest of the restaurant was filled with leather banquets, the kind of French napkins I am eternally searching for but have convinced myself don't exist outside the realm of cute rustic restaurants, butcher block tables, and mismatched photos.  It was basically what I envision my dream kitchen to look like complete with large windows that look out on to a beautiful tree-lined street.  A girl can dream.  Or a girl can go onto Pinterest and try and find more kitchens that steal her heart because she likes to look at inspiration.  This picture is the one I keep going back to.  So chic.  

Image via Pinterest.  

top ten california eats.

I've been away from work for over a week now and I now have a little bit of a sunkissed glow and seemingly look more alive.  (Or maybe it's that I just feel a little more alive).  We've driven down the coast from Napa to the City of Angles aka Los Angeles aka the City of the Scariest Drivers (I swear driving in Los Angeles should be an Olympic Sport and I question if anyone outside of LA would win the medal) and now I am sitting on the floor of LAX waiting for our flight back to reality to board.  I realize now as I think back to the past 12 days that it took a week for me to finally feel calm.  To be able to sit and enjoy a meal and not think about anything but how good the food tasted and good the company was.  It took me a week to feel content.  To feel utterly happy.  To realize that it's OK to savor my food and be disconnected from my e-mail.  To get lost and to lie in the grass for an hour just because the sun was shinning and the warmth felt wonderful.  I've thought a lot this past week - about what I want next and where I want to go and how the hell I am going to get there.  I've thought about what I really see myself doing for a career and where I see myself living and who I want by my side forever.  I've gotten perspective which is what I think a vacation is all about, to be reflective on things and to actually take the time to have random yet cohesive thoughts.

I've also thought a lot about the food I eat and the food I would like to eat.  Driving through California, I saw fields of vegetables grown in a very nontraditional and unnatural environment   It made me think about where I want my food to come from and I don't want it to come from farms where the food is grown with pesticides and the only goal is to get the food to market as soon as possible.  Food should be a labor of love and factory farms are not a labor of love.  I was lucky to eat a lot of dishes that were local and seasonal and were labors of love by the chefs and bakers that prepared them (these were not factory farmed dishes!).  I ate a lot of things that tasted like sunshine.  I ate a lot of things that made me rethink how ingredients get paired.  That dishes should be about different textures and flavors and the melding of all these random things into a single bite of food that is all encompassing.  I leave California thinking about when I can next make it back here.  When I can next sit at the beach starring out at the Pacific Ocean with not a care in the world.  I leave thinking about how I can break West Coast eating into my East Coast kitchen.

Below is a list of the top 10 things I ate while out here.  This is in no order of favorites (that would be far too difficult) but instead the list encompasses a lot of the food that left me thinking and wanting to return to the kitchen.  Expect to see my own twists on a lot of these dishes in the coming weeks.

1- Papalote (San Francisco, California) Roasted Tomato Salsa - There are salsa's in this world and then there is roasted tomato salsa and once you have that nothing else compares.  This is super flavorful, the kind of thing you would pour on just about anything to elevate it.  I am dreaming about it on a breakfast burrito.  

2 - Tartine Bakery (San Francisco, California) Walnut Bread - Basically this blog post says all there is to say about it.  It's the perfect loaf of bread and all others I eat will be compared to it.

3 - Craftsman and Wolves (San Francisco, California) Passionfruit Croissant - Buttery and tart and absolutely perfect.  It's the hip West Coast cousin to the almond croissant and it's the perfect accompaniment to iced coffee.  The kind of thing I would love to eat every Sunday morning.

4 - State Bird Provisions (San Francisco, California) Hamachi and Avocado - This restaurant just won the James Beard Awards for Best New Restaurant and it deserves it.  The dishes are inventive and American with an Asian twist.  We ate a lot of small plates while we were there but this was hands down the best.  A crispy piece of seaweed was topped with chunks of hamachi, avocado, slivered radish, sesame seeds and a spicy aioli.  It was deconstructed sushi or rather their own version of sushi and the intermingling of the flavors and textures was extraordinary.

5 - Kiji Sushi (San Francisco, California) Zuke Sashimi - Zuke is a traditional method of preparing sushi from the old days when refrigerators weren't around.  The sushi is soaked ahead of time in soy sauce to prevent it from spoiling.  The soaking causes the texture of the fish to change and it's really remarkable how different it tastes especially with the combination of wasabi and warm rice.  I ordered this twice because I was so in awe of it.  This was also the first sushi experience I had where someone actually let us know what was fresh and what the chef wanted to use.  A vastly different sushi experience then what you get on the east coast.  
6 - Ad Hoc (Yontville, California) Pennyroyal Farm Tomme Reserve - Ad Hoc is a Thomas Keller restaurant that has a different 4 course set menu every night.  The meal is always playful (homemade rootbeer floats!) and very seasonal.  While the meal was outstanding (I mean what Thomas Keller meal would be less then outstanding) it was the cheese that stole the show.  A locally made goats milk cheese was crumbly and nutty and absolute perfection under a drizzle of honey.  

7 - Baco Mercat (Los Angeles, California) Sugar Snap Pea and Grapefruit Dish - Like the Tartine Bread, I already discussed this beauty of a dish.  I've fallen hard for vegetable based dishes and this is one of the best.  

8 - Baco Mercat (Los Angeles, California) Yogurt Panna Cotta - The boy and I both swooned for this dish. A creamy, tangy panna cotta was topped with candied pecans and a wild blueberry compote.  It was tart and sweet and like a re-imagined blueberry pie. I'm already dreaming about making a version of this and serving it as a finale to a summer dinner party.  

9 - Animal (Los Angeles, California) Local Burrata with Baby Broccoli - This dish was pure perfection.  I literally have not stopped thinking about it.  Creamy burrata was topped with blanched baby broccoli.  A creamy green garlic and leek mixture was drizzled around the plate and then there were slices of the freshest pickled jalapenos to provide a little heat to the dish.  Crumbled on top was chicharones and garlic chips.  This dish was everything crunchy  spicy, creamy.  I don't know how they managed to do it but all I know is I want to eat it everyday.  

10 - Animal (Los Angeles, California) Barbeque Pork Belly Sandwiches with Slaw - This is the sandwich to end all sandwiches. Decadent pork belly is topped with a creamy, crunchy slaw.  This is a well balanced but very messy sandwich.  The kind of thing you should only eat with someone you know, but boy is it good.  

I will be returning to recipe posts tomorrow.  My first stop today was at the farmers market and there was some good stuff to be found!