Tag Archives: booze

Lula Mae Fan (Fan)

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Some highlights from an exceptionally delicious weekend…

Homemade cookie dough cold foam iced latte with frothed milk, brown sugar, vanilla bean paste, and baking soda.

Banana sesame protein coffee. Blended – coffee, chocolate milk, frozen banana, black sesame paste, vanilla protein powder.

Cookies and creme protein bar. Yes, I paired this with the cookie latte.

Golda. Breakfast plate – two eggs [over easy], spiced home fries, sourdough toast, and housemade hot sauce.

Brooklyn Kolache. We shared pimento cheese, beef sausage, and a sweet poppy seed.

Also a wonderful ube iced latte.

Fan Fan Doughnuts. I was underwhelmed by the dough today, sadly, but the toppings were top-notch. Dark chocolate with meringue / salted brown butter / lemon / Iranian Love with labne frosting.

Petee’s Pie. I am sad that we slept on this spot for so long because we were quite impressed. I had the Maine blueberry crumble pie with maple whipped cream.

These jelly sake cans – particularly in yuzu – are one of my favorite things.

This photo isn’t that exciting but it’s mostly a reminder to myself that the chicken and poblano pepper burrito from Whole Foods is pretty darn good.

I forgot to take a photo of my turkey cheeseburger salad – red lettuce, sauteed red kale, ranch dressing, ground turkey, tomatoes, extra-sharp cheddar, and sesame seeds – but we paired it with creamy dill potato chips.

Lula Mae – Cambodian food and the best meal of 2024. They had a pre-fixe happening for Restaurant Week and we got to try a ton of (amazing!) things. Spicy mezcal mule and a Tokyo Mae – Suntori whiskey, Cynar, yuzu, anise, and sarsaparilla bitters.

Cha kway fried bread with tom yum butter and pickles. <– mindblowing

Tuna on crispy rice.

50:50 fried chicken – dry rubbed with a lemon pepper dressing and a soy tamarind sauce.

Braised short-rib and morning glory greens in a tamarind stew.

Bowled Over

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No post from me last week because we were on VACATION. It was perfect! We went home to the Virgin Islands and got to start every single morning with a run and/or iced coffee and/or breakfast right on the water. Then we came back to New York and had a fancy stay at the Wall Street Hotel and an amazing meal at their restaurant (La Marchande).

Highlights from this week included…

Valentine’s things! Like heart-shaped candies.

Chocolate cherry protein bar from 88 Acres.

Chocolate covered cherry smoothie – plain Greek yogurt, frozen dark cherries, and chocolate milk.

Chocolate cherry cookies – this recipe with the addition of chopped cocktail cherries.

I paired this wonderfully pink peach apricot rose soda with vodka and edible glitter!

Do these winter citrus fruits count as on-theme because I love them? My last two juicy crunch tangerines were a bit lackluster though, so sumo mandarins have regained the number one spot in my heart.

Yogurt bowl with juicy crunch tangerine, canned peaches, blueberry jam, and granola.

Snack plate – pimento cheese dip scooped with mini cucumbers, baby carrots, and white cheddar popcorn chips.

This week’s dinners were all – a) fantastic and b) served in bowls. Butter chicken inspired tofu. Extra-firm tofu marinated in tomato sauce, olive oil, ginger, curry powder, and smoked paprika then sauteed. For the sauce I cooked the marinade with yellow onion, fresno chili, butter, tomato paste, and a big splash of half and half. Served with a quick cucumber and tomato salad (tossed with lemon juice, olive oil, pepper, and Sichuan pepper salt) and a blend of brown rice and riced cauliflower.

Cava inspired bowls. Leftover rice/cauliflower / leftover cucumber tomato salad / marinated grilled artichoke hearts / honey harissa baked chicken (we use this recipe as our base and it is perfect) / baby corn / Cava crazy feta dip.

Bowls very-loosely inspired by Bún thịt nướng. Whole-wheat vermicelli noodles / roasted brussel sprouts / tomatoes / chicken breast cooked in the crockpot with water, soy sauce, lime juice, honey, and ginger / topped with Nước chấm sauce and chili crisp.

Guava, Passionfruit, Tangerine

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I feel like I say this every time, but what a yummy week! Highlights…

Starbucks’ chicken, maple butter, and egg sandwich is a limited/occasional release that’s worth trying if you ever see it. I’m not sure why they don’t think maple butter needs a permanent menu spot.

Nut Pods’ toasted marshmallow creamer goes wonderfully in an iced matcha latte.

Especially when paired with these dried baby pineapples.

I love these Craize guava corn crackers. I scooped the last of the garlic hummus with them and the salty-sweet situation was great.

Peanut butter cup banana bread! This perfect recipe plus peanut butter, chocolate chips, and mini peanut butter cups.

Juicy Crunch Tangerines are definitely my new favorite citrus/fruit. They are so sweet and juicy, and mostly seedless.

Yogurt bowl with plain skyr, tangerine, blueberries, passionfruit, and granola.

Yogurt bowl with plain skyr, blueberries, and banana bread.

We thought our Backyard BBQ leftovers were still a 10/10. Brisket, chicken, smoked macaroni and cheese, and candied yams. Plus homemade honey bbq sauce and roasted broccoli.

Plus a boozy peach tea from Voodoo Ranger to go with the theme.

Hedgehog tofu. Scored/baked super-firm tofu with this sauce and roasted brussel sprouts. Topped with chili crisp and furikake.

Chicken salad. Shredded chicken (breasts and thighs cooked in the crockpot) with plain skyr, mayo, lemon juice, ranch seasoning, and chopped dill pickles. Plus green beans sauteed with honey and honey dijon.

Chilaquiles. Orange bell pepper, poblano pepper, yellow onion, and tortilla chips sauteed with chicken broth and smoky salsa, with chicken and cheddar. An egg on top and chipotle Cholula and fresno chili.

Dollars To Crullers

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It was a fantastic weekend (including a 6+ mile Manhattan walk)! Highlights include…

Banana protein coffee (blender – coffee, milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla protein powder, frozen banana); Adam and I both decided we adore this.

Interlude‘s Cadenza is one of the most exciting coffees we’ve had in a while. Shaken espresso served with Mexican Coke topped with cold foam and vanilla whipped cream.

Sadly, Doughnut Project is closing this month so we had to go get a final fantastic maple cruller.

Related – Daily Provisions‘ monthly cruller special is lemon poppy seed so obviously we got that too! This was even better than DP.

Rigor Hill Market‘s hot chocolate is a 10/10; thick and creamy, a good balance of bitter and sweet, and it comes with toasted marshmallows.

Joe’s Steam Rice Roll, we got beef with egg and scallions. The sauce trio makes this.

Dinner at Thai Diner. We arrived early and managed to snag a table. I got Phat See Ew with beef shortrib. Any dish with broad rice noodles and Chinese broccoli is a hit with me.

Plus pea shoots with garlic, chili, and salted soybeans.

Guava sour with vodka and mint.

Dinner at Backyard BBQ in Freeport. I didn’t have my camera but I did Instagram our giant spread because we loved it here. Brisket, chicken with an amazing bbq rub, candied yams, and pickles.

Plus smoked baked mac and cheese that we both thought was perfect. We also had an unphotographed cheese burger!

An easy homemade dinner – Trader Joe’s chicken taquitos baked topped with ground turkey, zucchini, smoky salsa, and cheddar.

Root Beer Float

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Highlights from the week…

I bought this cute squeezie-tube sweetened condensed milk and enjoyed it in some fun coffees. INCLUDING root beer with cold brew and condensed milk and coconut water with instant espresso and condensed milk.

Yogurt bowl – plain skyr with blueberries, blackberries, chia seeds, almond crunch granola, and Oat Haus vanilla granola butter.

Blackberries and an Autumn Glory apple with granola butter.

The best citrus fruit (Sumo mandarins) with the best bar (Perfect cookie dough).

Trader Joe’s garlic hummus with rosemary and olive oil crackers.

Mentioning again how much I enjoy the passionfruit mochi from Bubbies.

I was a big fan of this Heartbreaker canned cocktail from Livewire; it was balanced and not too sweet.

Root beer with golden rum and sweetened condensed milk; this was even better than a float.

This is a photo of my chips and guacamole appetizer because burritos are unphotogenic, but I did have a great steak burrito from Burrito Blvd with zucchini, corn, cheese, rice, and serrano mayo.

A wonderful and wonderfully easy dinner thanks to a microwavable base.

Quinoa and Nasoya Korean bbq plant-based steak (we loved this, the taste and texture were perfect) plus peanuts and a cold cucumber salad with tahini and gojuchang.

Creamy crab and tomato pasta. Buckwheat soba noodles / crab claws / roasted zucchini / sauce – shallots, garlic, butter, fresno chili, tomato paste, smoked paprika, half and half / topped with gochugaru and lemon zest.

This dinner was unhinged but successful – turkey cheeseburger egg salad! Ground turkey and medium-boiled eggs with sauteed shallots, chopped dill pickle, cheddar cheese, sesame seeds, paprika, mayo, and yellow mustard.

Plus potato tots and roasted broccoli with a homemade Greek yogurt ranch.

Over, Left Not Underwhelmed

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It genuinely took until Sunday morning but I finally feel completely back to normal! I even enjoyed a run. It was a very low-key weekend with some yummy bites. Highlights include…

I really enjoyed this instant espresso sachet from Blue Bottle.

Banana protein coffee (in the blender – brewed coffee, half and half, frozen banana, vanilla protein powder, cinnamon, and brown sugar).

I knew I was well because both coffee and booze appealed to me. Two new-to-me tries – Lagunita’s classic IPA and a Flying Embers hard kombucha.

Yogurt bowl perfection – plain skyr, Bear Naked vanilla almond crisp granola, blackberries, and a Juicy Crunch tangerine (aka my new favorite fruit; this was seedless and so sweet and wonderful).

The perfect chips and dip combo – 12 Tides everything-seasoned puffed kelp chips with smoked salmon salad.

Chia “pudding.” I didn’t give this enough time to gel but it made a delicious drink (chia seeds, skim milk, salt, cinnamon, and brown sugar).

It is super nice to have leftovers and easy items for quick dinners. Leftover chicken chili with green onion, plain skyr, sharp cheddar, and Trader Joe’s sweet and hot pickled jalapenos.

Plus roasted baby cauliflower and toasted beer bread with honey and butter.

Leftover sheet-pan breakfast tots topped with Kewpie, Sriracha, and furikake.

Trader Joe’s frozen chicken taquitos with roasted rainbow cauliflower. I ordered chicken fingers for lunch after that Kombucha (lol) and I had a plethora of leftover dipping sauces so this was a great dinner.

Goodbye, 2023

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Blogging a day early… My New Years Eve celebration of choice has always been going to bed at a reasonable hour and starting the new year refreshed. We are finishing our year with junk food and a nice bottle of champagne 🙂

Things from the last days of 2023 included…

Butterscotch iced latte from Think Coffee.

The cinnamon bun Chamberlain Coffee didn’t have enough flavor for us but the grapefruit elderflower Aura Bora is my favorite.

We met up with friends for coffee, a Bayside walk, and crepes. Mine had red bean, matcha ice cream, strawberries, and chocolate sauce. Plus I got a jasmine tea with an ice-bear.

Mexican street corn popcorn. I don’t love pre-popped popcorn but this variety was well-seasoned and a bit spicy.

Caramel on caramel. Great caramels that my parents made and even better Reese’s caramel big cups (sorry guys, yours would have won against a lesser candy!).

We’ve decided these Ben & Jerry’s s’mores cookie dough bites were the very best buy/new find of the year.

We were impressed with this Trader Joe’s orange chicken rice bowl.

Trader Joe’s frozen fish sticks (these I would not buy again) with roasted broccoli and delicata squash.

Hawkmoor Steakhouse. Sour cherry negroni.

Jockey Club – mezcal, lime, apricot, Campari, and Peychaud’s Bitters.

We shared a ton of things – I thought the steak was a bit underdone but the sides were great. Like sourdough with cultured butter.

Bitter leaf salad with Bluebird cheese, pecans, and anchovy dressing.

Beef-fat fries.

Chateaubriand.

Roast beef with potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, roasted carrots, roasted shallot and garlic, and a bone marrow gravy.

Finally, the Peanut Butter Louise – shortbread, crunchy peanut butter, and milk chocolate with a salted caramel ice cream.

Falansai. This Vietnamese spot is a 10/10. Vietnamese iced coffee.

Everything was mind-blowing but unfortunately my pictures are blurry. We shared spicy tuna confit with guacamole on a sesame rice cracker.

Beef and mushroom dumplings and daikon radish in a pho broth made with beef and lamb.

Lemongrass beef skewers with vermicelli noodles and a pickled egg.

And a chocolate ganache cake with candied peanuts and a condensed milk ice cream. <– my favorite dish of the weekend

The fridge is full of leftovers and happily most of these foods will be following us into 2024!

Frozen Eggnog

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Highlights from the weekend (including some highlights of the whole damn year!)…

Eggnog dalgona iced coffee – after driving around with cocoa and the dog to look at lights this is our favorite holiday tradition.

Peppermint white mocha iced latte from Buzzed. We also shared an eggnog cold foam cold brew and were pleased with both. I wouldn’t go back all the time but I will definitely check out their next seasonal specials.

I’Milky oat milk iced matcha with chestnut creme. I was mostly getting this to be seasonal but we ended up both loving it – super balanced and satisfying.

Petit Chou tropical tres leches cake with a layer of jammy pineapple. I need to try more things from this spot.

Spudsy sweet potato snacks. I thought these would be like Chex Mix but they were actually the size of a small clementine.

Comfortland frozen eggnog (15/10) and a chocolate, coconut, marshmallow doughnut. This was the best doughnut I’ve ever eaten; the outside was sugary and crispy.

We also got the Everything Everywhere Tots at Once special – with cheddar, hot honey, marinated ribeye, gochujang aioli, ranch, chives, and everything bagel seasoning.

Brunch at Madre. This spot deserves the hype – the space was beautiful, the service was great, the food was all wonderful. We shared a Granddaddy Purp – sake, lavender, plum, cereal milk, and egg white. Gorgeous and delicious.

El Sancho – mezcal, apricot, campari, habenero, and cinnamon.

Jalapeño cornbread madelines with whipped honey butter.

The burger with gruyere and fennel slaw (didn’t make my top five but definitely in the top ten and Adam loved it).

And the brown butter french toast with caramel and roasted banana.

Scooping/dipping dinner. Baked wontons with togarashi / roasted broccoli / blended tuna salad – with smoked trout, mayo, and capers / pimento cheese dip – warm with honey and spiced pecans on top.

P.S. We checked out the Rockefellers tree and it was totally stunning and worth the crowd!