Tag Archives: citrus

Burgers And Blossoms

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What a fun weekend – we ate and saw so many good things! And took several long walks (including a bridge walk!). NYC is stunningly beautiful right now!

Some highlights…

Orwashers. So exciting that they have a location out in Long Island near us now! We shared a morning bun and an Edith’s tahini frozen coffee.

Plus a bagel with lox and dill cream cheese.

Tozzo for “coffee with a bottom,” aka an iced latte with a layer of pistachio cream.

Janie Bakes makes the best cookies in the city in my opinion, hands down. This blueberry lemon pie crust cookie was perfection. We also tried an (unphotographed) croissant cookie; I’ve been avoiding them but their special was s’mores and I couldn’t resist. I assumed correctly that I would rather have a cookie and a croissant separately but it was pretty damn good.

Bar Francis. We loved it here; the space, service, and cocktail menu were all wonderful. We shared some great drinks. A Balaklava (pistachio-infused tequila, Licor 43, walnut liqueur, rose water, and honeycomb) and the Sappy Child (vodka, Douglas Fir liqueur, Saler’s, Suze, honey, and citrus, carbonated)

Plus the best drink of the weekend, the No Fly List (moonshine, pineapple, lime, Suze, peanut butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg).

And a smoked salmon dip.

Arden. I got a drink with bourbon, cherry bounce, vanilla, and coke and a Painkiller.

We shared the yellowtail crudo with tangerines, yuzu, mint, and serrano.

The bok choy with nuoc cham caramel.

And the brussels sprouts with XO sauce.

And I got a cheeseburger – brioche bun, American cheese sauce, morales, kimchi, and slaw with salt and vinegar fries. The fries and the crudo were the standouts.

Haven. Extra-spicy Bloody Mary.

We shared the Reuben flat-bread with pastrami, sauerkraut, gruyere, thousand island dressing, and carraway seeds.

The cheeseburger – Pat LaFrieda double patty, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, and thousand island dressing on an Orwashers bun. Nice fries.

And miso soup with matzoh balls. These were the best matzoh balls I’ve ever eaten; they were super buttery and a bit peppery.

Neither burger makes my top ten list but overall it was a 10/10 weekend!

Super Travelers

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No post from last week because we were on VACATION! We had the week off and jet-setted to Miami AND Las Vegas. Adam and I had a wonderful time! Some highlights included – tons of Cuban coffees and guava pastries in Miami (shoutout to Chugs Diner for the best of both) / everything at Tam Tam but especially the frozen soursoup daiquiri / a nostalgic trip back to University of Miami campus / catching up with both college and high school friends in FL / my 1st trip to Las Vegas / every coffee at Dig It but especially the dirt cup latte / the mango sticky rice iced latte at Vesta / dinner at Safta capped off with tahini chocolate pie / brunch at Peppermill where the vibes were immaculate and the blueberry muffin was actually my favorite thing I’ve ever eaten / an insane afternoon appreciating the art at Meow Wolf Omega Mart / my 1st trip to the Grand Canyon.

We got back to NY Friday night and I had a couple of days for laundry and errands before work today! Some highlights from the weekend…

Saturday was the Super Troopers’ release date anniversary and we enjoyed a rewatch with some on-theme foods! Chocolate-covered banana (milkshake). Vanilla ice cream, frozen banana, cocoa powder, and a chocolate protein shake.

Cotton candy aka sugar heaven. I could only find this Starburst kind and it ended up being delicious.

Instead of chugging maple syrup with added it to our chicken salad. Chopped baked chicken with celery, candied pecans, mayo, Greek yogurt, vinegar, Cholula, and maple syrup. Served between buttermilk waffles with a side of roasted green cauliflower.

Sunday I had a hair appointment in Brooklyn so I got to do some fun Park Slope things. Iced cappuccino from Velvette Brew.

Banana brown sugar walnut muffin from Simple Loaf Bakehouse (I’ve decided I’m into muffins now!).

And a perfect fried chicken sandwich from Pecking House with duck fat chili oil, Kewpie mayo, bread and butter pickles, and milk bread.

Other things from the weekend include these Yasso ice cream bites which were great.

And a fantastic green smoothie – fresh Sumo mandarin, frozen banana and spinach, matcha tea powder, vanilla protein powder, honey, and water.

Gummy Worm Sprinkles

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Weekend things – I worked on Sunday and managed to get home on time / We went on a mall date and I bought new running shoes (the next generation of the Brooks’ Adrenalines) that seem great / We ate champagne mangos that were so juicy and perfect / I ordered a ton of Taco Bell take-out from their new Cantina menu and it was shockingly good!

Highlights…

Still on my yuzu iced matcha spritzer kick. Matcha tea, orange mandarin passionfruit jam, yuzu marmalade, and yuzu mandarin seltzer.

This beautiful sludge was actually a black sesame caramel dirty iced matcha. Matcha, espresso, skim milk, caramel Nut Pods vegan creamer, black sesame paste, and caramel drizzle.

We ate at Shukette last weekend and were sadly/surprisingly underwhelmed but we did have a fantastic dish of labne with candied kumquats and black sesame seeds. Hence this bagel – toasted egg bagel with cream cheese, yuzu marmalade, and sesame seeds. Also the other half with peanut butter, honey, and poppy seed filling.

I have been searching obsessively and I finally found the Dirt Cake Oreos! They are delicious and more importantly they are topped with gummy worm inspired sprinkles!!!

Spicy cold tofu. With roasted zucchini and Trader Joe’s mini chicken and cilantro wontons.

The best nachos I’ve ever made. Adam and I were both swooning! Trader Joe’s plantain crisps / extra-sharp cheddar / chopped baked chicken tossed with bbq sauce / green bell pepper, poblano pepper, baby tomatoes, and scallions sauteed in evoo with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and Jamaican curry powder / homemade guacamole and chipotle lime ranch.

Halva Good Time

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Some things from this week…

I celebrated the 1st day of Spring with a Starbucks iced espresso with white chocolate sauce and lavender cold foam.

See also – Trader Joe’s Meyer lemon yogurt. I bulked it up with some plain Greek with halva pecans, blueberries, and blackberries on top.

These Seed + Mill halva-coated pecans are delightful.

Yuzu matcha spritzer because I am a woman obsessed.

Bars on bars. The Barebells one was so creamy!

We pulled the last of our Christmas coffee cake down from the freezer.

Brinner. This cornmeal pancake recipe was a winner. Plus turkey bacon, sumo mandarin, and berries (and, of course, maple syrup!).

Chicken sandwiches – Whole Foods’ Early Bird multi-seed bread, dijon mustard, mayo, brie, and chicken (thin sliced breasts marinated in Greek yogurt, lemon, honey, and harissa, then sauteed). Plus maple tahini broccoli salad (I swapped in dried cherries and roasted pumpkin seeds) and pickles.

Pie Versus Cake

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Things from this week — It was 70 degrees yesterday and the dog and I took an afternoon walk sans coats! Adam and I started watching Farzar on Netflix – it is basically just Paradise PD in space but both shows are so funny I can’t even fault them. Thursday was Pi(e) Day and Sunday is St. Patrick’s Day – so many theme food opportunities.

Food things —

Cherry pie smoothie – frozen dark cherries, salted caramel granola, water, vanilla protein powder, vanilla extract, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

Yogurt bowl win – plain Greek, yuzu marmalade, blueberries and blackberries, and granola.

Iced matcha with yuzu marmalade and yuzu mandarin seltzer. <– I am hooked on this combination

Adam got a Zero Gravity Irish cream porter for St. Patrick’s Day so I tried their Power Jones IPA – 9/10.

I was so excited to find these puddings at 99 Ranch but we ended up throwing them out; they tasted like slightly milky gelatin.

Haribo lemon ginger chews. Better than gummy bears but not as good as the grapefruit slices.

Cake! We brought this home from Butterfield over the weekend. This sprinkled/cookies and cream frosting filled slice is one of my favorite desserts in NYC.

I searched for this limited edition Tillamook ice cream since last summer and it fully lived up to my expectations.

This Sriracha shrimp bowl from Trader Joe’s has consistently been my favorite frozen meal option for years now. I always top it with Kewpie and more Sriracha and it is so satisfying.

Roast’s St. Patrick’s Day sandwich special – corned beef reuben with swiss, sauerkraut, onion rings, and thousand island dressing on marble rye. Plus fries and rainbow cauliflower (Trader Joe’s frozen bag that I sauteed with evoo, salt, pepper, and celery seed – delicious).

Our best meal of the week took less than 20 minutes to make. Buckwheat soba / sauteed celery / Korean steamed eggs (made with water, miso, and fish sauce) / sesame oil, sesame seeds, and chili crisp.

A take on okonomiyaki – roasted cabbage and green onion, shredded egg tofu, white pepper, gochugaru, minced ginger, flour, baking soda, lime seltzer, and eggs. Topped with Kewpie and Sriracha.

Pizza Pizza Pizza Pizza

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Some things from this week that weren’t pizza (but are mostly fruit and/or yogurt and/or dessert) –

Cherry cheesecake Chobani yogurt and a sumo orange. 5.5/10 – I need to accept that I mostly prefer the flavor of plain yogurts. That said, I added granola and the texture was fantastic.

Loaded yogurt bowl. Plain Greek with peanut butter, a Reese’s caramel peanut butter big cup (!!), granola, and blueberries.

Berry smoothie. This was good, I don’t know why the dog looks so dubious. Frozen cherries and berries blended with water, vanilla protein powder, and matcha tea powder.

Trader Joe’s had several pizza-flavored crunchy snacks and obviously that spawned a whole theme week for dinner –

Pizza Party kettle chips. 7.5/10 – they were excellently seasoned but ultimately I didn’t love how tomato-y these were.

Pizza flavored baked crisps. 6.5/10 – these were a bit too airy for me but Adam was a fan.

Homemade pizza bagels. Everything egg bagels with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and turkey pepperoni. Plus some heirloom tomato.

Homemade pizza bites. This recipe – I skipped the basil but added turkey pepperoni, gochugaru, and ranch seasoning. Plus roasted broccoli and cauliflower and a homemade blue cheese dip (Greek yogurt, mayo, lemon juice, ranch seasoning, and blue cheese crumbles).

Supreme pizza inspired nachos. Pizza party chips with mozzarella, sharp cheddar, Trader Joe’s plant-based pepperoni, chicken parmesan sausage, red onion, green bell pepper, and mushrooms. This was a spot-on flavor match! Plus marinara/chili oil for dipping.

Actual pizza. We got takeout from Dario’s and loved it. Eggplant and ricotta / birria / spicy chicken and peppers. This was the best eggplant pizza I’ve ever had.

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.

Raspberry Rabbit

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Notes from the week – a) I made a big batch of baked meatballs – ground turkey with panko, half and half, fish sauce, gochugaru, egg, and sauteed green onion. b) We went to 99 Ranch and got a bunch of great snacks.

Highlights…

This week’s cinnamon coffee combo.

Iced matcha with fresh-squeezed orange juice and yuzu seltzer.

Two kinds of yogurt bowls. Plain Greek with 88 Acres dark chocolate sunflower seed butter, granola, strawberries, and jumbo blueberries.

And plain skyr with honey, black sesame paste, berries, and Heritage Flakes.

Two vegan protein options. Textured soy protein jerky and crunchy yellow peas.

Two kinds of bougie candy bars. Peanut butter crunch and chocolate mint cups.

Two kinds of chips. Seaweed Turtle Chips.

And white cheddar popcorn chips.

The new spiced raspberry diet coke is quite good (though it can’t compare to cherry).

White Rabbit candy ice cream cup.

Glazed meatballs with sauteed bok choy. I made a great sauce with oyster sauce, Sriracha, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, white pepper, and cornstarch. Plus sesame seeds and green onions.

Meatball sub. Toasted rolls with meatballs, Trader Joe’s pizza sauce, gochugaru, and tons of mozzarella. Plus roasted purple cauliflower.

Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi and pizza sauce. We always bake this gnocchi (20 minutes at 400 degrees) and the texture comes out great.

Speaking of texture – I was very proud of these chewy rice cakes. Frozen rice cakes (simmered in chicken broth, gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, garlic, and brown sugar) with sauteed celery and green onions, roasted zucchini, and shredded chicken breast. Plus chili crisp and sesame seeds.