Open Toasted Sesame

by Emily

Highlights from the week…

Lemon shortbread Greek yogurt with a Jaffa mandarin and a coconut seltzer.

Coconut Chobani with Heritage Flakes and a sumo mandarin and a lemon seltzer.

Cookie butter cotton candy.

Sandwich night. Mock beef shaved tofu sauteed with red bell pepper and bbq sauce / served on a brioche bun / with mayo and provolone. Plus broccoli.

Barley bowls. Barley / roasted zucchini / crumbled seaweed snacks / canned mackerel and smoked sardines mashed together with some mayonnaise / Sriracha and gojuchang on top.

A knock-your-socks-off good dinner date at Gristmill.

The Ali Baba cocktail = gin, lemon, cream, egg white, and toasted sesame.

I went with the pre-fix option because I wanted too many things to choose!

Local greens salad with carrot, watermelon radish, and toasted sesame vinaigrette. This was delicious af and while we were eating it the owner came by and excitedly told us about sourcing his greens, so that was fun.

Chicken liver mousse with bread crackers, concord grape jam, and dulce de leche.

Best plain cheese pizza I’ve ever eaten. <– Gristmill is famous for their wood-fired oven.

Plus we had an affogato and that thing lurking in the back is the best chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten with caramelized white chocolate ganache and sourdough pretzel crumbs.

I work the weekend so I’m off today, woo hoo!

26Mar2018

Comfy And Cozy

by Emily

Five best things I ate this weekend…

{1} Mint iced coffee from Project Cozy.

{2} Pastries at Supermoon.

Chocolate doughnut with salted caramel and a ferrero rocher croissant. Both with meringue on top!

{3} Macrons from Laudrée.

Wow, so these were by far the best macarons we’d ever tasted. We got strawberry candy with marshmallow and chestnut, both of which were fantastic.

{4} Brunch at Mother’s Ruin.

I got a fantastically spicy Bloody Mary.

And the best chicken and waffles on Earth. They have a cholula honey glaze that is everything.

{5} Crab grilled cheese at home.

Shredded crab meat, mayonnaise, Old Bay, and extra sharp cheddar, toasted in butter on white whole wheat bread.

With Trader Joe’s cruciferous veggie blend with kale, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and green and red cabbage sauteed with honey and soy sauce.

And a really delicious beer – a sour with Italian plum.

‘Twas a great weekend!

23Mar2018

Well There Goes Your Social Life

by Emily

Another New York snowstorm?! Can it be Spring already??! I shouldn’t complain, Adam and I both were off from work on Wednesday and I already drink enough coffee to power a small city so it’s not like the few minutes I had to wake up earlier on Thursday to deal with the snow were a big deal. <– I should note that I literally mean that I only need a few extra minutes, I don’t have to dig out my own car because I’m married to the kindest man on earth!

Highlight bites this week…

Coffee, coffee! Cafe Bustelo.

Cold brew with coconut palm sugar (and skim milk).

Protein cookie and a sumo.

Coffee Greek yogurt with coconut butter, red walnuts, and granola, plus a Pink Lady apple on the side. The coconut/coffee combo is 10/10.

These 7-11 bites are super cute, and I love anything that tastes like cake batter.

It seemed like half of Queens had closed up shop on Wednesday but Adam and I still managed to find a good lunch. Chicken and udon soup.

With an Oreo milk tea with pudding.

Plus we went to Coffee Factory for a ridiculously adorned coffee shave ice.

It’s a testament to how good Stumptown is that I was equally excited about my iced latte.

Do you remember last year when I declared that the spring holidays deserve theme flavors too? Easter gets lemon, coconut, and anything in the shape of an egg!

I snacked on coconut shortbread cookies and candied lemon slices to welcome the first day of Spring.

The Trader Joe’s eggs were cute, but the chocolate to caramel ratio was too large for my liking. I much prefer a thinner, softer shell, so the Godiva eggs were absolutely perfect.

Godiva actually sent me the eggstra special chocolates to review on the blog {I received no additional compensation / all opinions are my own}. The box includes solid milk chocolate, dark chocolate ganache (3rd favorite), dark chocolate with raspberry, milk chocolate with almond butter (my favorite), and milk chocolate caramel (2nd favorite). There’s 60 calories per egg, which feels more than fair because these are definitely a two-to-three-bite candy.

Important note – Godiva also has an assorted gift-box special for Spring that includes both cookie dough truffles and white chocolate pralines – among other flavors – and I’m having a very hard time not buying it immediately.

My dinners were darn impressive this week. Spicy Cajun shrimp pasta bowls on whole wheat linguine with tons of roasted zucchini and sun-dried tomato.

Homemade turkey Reuben burgers / roasted green beans / french fries / with ketchup and thousand island.

Chicken sandwiches. Boneless skinless breasts marinated in lemon juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, Sriracha, fish sauce, and ginger; breaded in panko; and baked / on brioche buns / with mayo and provolone.

Plus we had sauteed bok choy and leeks on the side.

And buttermilk and chive chips while I cooked.

Last night a girlfriend and I went on a balls tasting tour of the Lower East Side for dinner. Boba Guys for Hong Kong milk tea with tapioca balls and almond jelly.

Meatball Shop for chicken meatballs with pesto. Plus a Dead Flowers & Red Bottoms cocktail – mezcal, tequila, lime, honey, and hibiscus.

p.s. who is 1990’s enough to get the joke in my title??

19Mar2018

Green With Fun

by Emily

We had a great weekend! My aunt and uncle came into the city and we had a wonderful time showing them around. I even caught some of the parade.

Top three best things I ate…

{1} local beers

Greenpoint Brewery.

Brooklyn Brewery.

Iconyc‘s saison with soursop!

{2} homemade turkey reuben cheese fries

Fries / swiss and gouda cheese blend / sliced smoked turkey / sauerkraut / 1000 island dressing / parsely.

With broccoli on the side for green.

{3} brunch at Sunday in Brooklyn

How adorable is my aunt’s cocktail?

And my Care Bear Stare was one of the best drinks I’ve ever had. With Aperol, cream sherry, redeemed fruit, and cinnamon.

We shared the pancakes, which are a must-order if you visit SiB, but my flatbread was still my favorite. Ramp kimchi, mushrooms, fried eggs, and toasted spices on top of the most wonderfully chewy flatbread.

Have a great week!

9Feb2018

Emily Of Sandwich

by Emily

This was a short week for me on the work front, I was off Monday from the weekend (with Adam!!) and off Thursday for a doctor’s appointment. Wear your sunblock, kids – I have to have two moles surgically removed, one on my chest and one on my back, complete with stitches, giant gross scars, and a month straight of no gym and no normal showers. At least I got a good lunch in Manhattan out of the deal?

Highlights…

We finally made it to Doughnut Project! The Malter White was great, malted milk chocolate with a malted chocolate chip mini cookie and cookie crumble.

We got a gift certificate to the Russian Tea Room for Christmas this year and we enjoyed a super fancy lunch. We had vodka, of course.

And caviar.

And I had delicious Kulebiaka for my entree – salmon with slow cooked onions, mushrooms, and vegetables wrapped in pastry, served with braised caraway cabbage and mustard beurre blanc.

Yogurt bowl wins. Greek with fresh strawberries and caramel almond butter.

Strawberry Icelandic style with a fancy tangerine.

Chicken quesadilla from La Esquina.

Best ever ice cream from Ice & Vice. Malted vanilla with sea salt caramel.

Dessert at Vanilla Bean. Banoffee tart for me and a crazy good iced latte.

Caramelized banana peanut butter cups.

It was sandwich week for dinners! Croque Madame – rye bread, smoked turkey, sharp cheddar, strawberry jam, french toasted – with roasted broccoli and shishitos.

Jalopeño popper turkey burgers with smoked gouda and roasted green beans. We didn’t have buns but I’m still counting this as a sandwich.

Asian-style turkey reubens – with gojuchang mayo and kimchi – with roasted shredded brussel sprouts.

5Feb2018

Super

by Emily

Did all my American readers eat wings and gauc and dip last night? I don’t even watch the Super Bowl but I try not to let that get in the way of my buffalo chicken consumption.

Weekend eats highlights –

We actually had dinner reservations at Evelina last night; a little Italian place with no tv, big screen or otherwise. I had a fun Cordelia cocktail – mezcal, malted banana, pressed lime, and Coco Lopez.

We shared two yummy salads to start. Italian radicchio with roasted grapes, almonds, Blue di bufala, and vin cotto.

Roasted beets with Fuji persimmon, house smoked ricotta, and hazelnut.

Sadly our entrees were disappointing. My cacio e pepe risotto with white shrimp was a major letdown.

But that meant that we ended up grabbing pizza on the way home; buffalo chicken is never a letdown!

I worked the weekend so most of my food was in snack form. Two superior combos of iced coffee and chocolate milk.

This citrus medley yogurt from Trader Joe’s is fantastically creamy and sweet, especially with sumo mandarin segments mixed in.

Potato wedges from the cafeteria – gotta get in that blue cheese.

And one morning Adam drove me into work and we went on a breakfast date at the Orwashers in the new Whole Foods 365. Best chocolate croissant of all time!

Random television musings –

My two favorite shows this season – The Good Place and Agents of Sheild
My least favorite new show – 9-1-1
The old show I am loving and tearing through seasons of at a disturbing clip – Cougar Town

Valentine’s freebie FYIs –

If you visit Godiva stores on Sunday, February 11th they’ll give you one free piece of chocolate while supplies last (no purchase required)
Aunt Annie’s is selling heart shaped pretzels buy-one-get-one-free on the 14th if you download their app
Not free and just for New Yorkers – FYI, Doughnut Plant is selling adorable rose shaped doughnuts right now and usually they have heart-shaped ones on Valentine’s

29Jan2018

You Do Win Friends With Salad

by Emily

Weekend highlights…

**Brunch at Freeks Mill a gorgeous, airy, much lauded restaurant in Gowanus.

Paloma – Cimarron Blanco tequila, lime, contratto bitter, grapefruit, preserved lemon, salt.

I had the puntarelle salad with anchovy vinaigrette, grana cheese, and a soft boiled egg.

Plus Shishito peppers with honey and salt.

We want to go back for dinner!

**Coffee and treats at Abboutsford Road, a fantastic coffee shop and roastery in Gowanus staffed and owned by handsome, friendly Aussies. I had a yummy iced latte plus bites of a cheddar chive biscuit and lamington (chocolate cake, raspberry jelly, coconut) cupcake.

I also had a ridiculously delicious cup of strawberry iced tea.

***Tea cake at Charlotte Patisserie.

Macadamia nut cake filled with salted caramel and covered in milk chocolate.

**Cheese plate. A crazy simple cheese plate, but a good one nonetheless. Roasted green beans / baked whole wheat tortilla chips / smoked gouda / sweetened dried lemon.

Plus chocolates from Dylan’s.

**Homemade Caesar salads with salmon.

Romaine tossed in homemade dressing <– not worth the effort / crispy cheese bites for croutons / dijon and brown sugar baked salmon.

22Jan2018

Good Coffee, Bad Coffee

by Emily

Weekend coffee round-up: The cold brew roast from Birch is fantastic.

This Vita Cafe vanilla coconut water coffee is pretty darn good.

And the vanilla iced latte from Panera is no good, terrible, very bad. <– it was so sweet it was practically caustic, and that was with “light on syrup” and extra espresso!

Saturday, Adam and I spent the day in Astoria. We finally got to check out the Museum of the Moving Image, which had a great Jim Henson exhibit running.