Tag Archives: restaurant food

Pastry Party

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We had an amazing weekend including lots of snacks, coffees, walking, and great sights!

Saturday we took the LIRR into Manhattan, walked down to the Seaport, took the Ikea ferry to Brooklyn, walked through Red Hook back to Fort Greene, then took the LIRR back home. <– a perfect day!

Some highlights…

Kismet Coffee Company‘s Rocket Fuel cold brew with coconut milk, amaretto syrup, and pina colada mix.

Honey mustard protein pretzels. These were filling and nicely spiced; I would buy them again.

Mentos fruity jelly drink, basically a nonalcoholic version of the jelly sake I am obsessed with.

Bon Bon’s Red Hook location is as lovely and uncrowded as their Williamsburg one!

The Bakery at Greywind convinced us we need to come back for dinner at the restaurant ASAP. We had a fudgy brownie with sesame and citrusy brown butter cake.

Clover Club for cocktails. Cannonball Cola – spiced rum, overproof rum, cherry cola cordial, pineapple, and lime / Dear Judy – brioche-infused gin, blueberry alpine amaro, lemon, maple, egg white, and blueberry essence / Rouge Wave – Guyanese and Jamaican white rums, blue curaçao, coconut, condensed milk, pineapple, lemon, and orgeat.


Brunch at the Dogwood Cafe pop-up at Figure Eight was my favorite thing we did all weekend. Black sesame cloud cold brew topped with the best meringue I’ve ever eaten.

Steamed egg breakfast sandwich with cheddar and chili aioli on a sweet bolobao.

Duck yogurt croissant and a yuzu lavender Kouign Amann.

Red Hook Tavern exceeded my (high!) expectations. Provence Julep – gin, mint, Provencal Cavaillon melon, sloe gin, Lillet Blanc, and lime / Isle Old Fashioned – Toki whiskey, Giffard Pineapple, allspice dram, and jerk bitters.

We shared the kale salad with toasted almonds, gouda, and champagne dijon vinaigrette.

The burger with American cheese and white onions.

And the cavatelli with oxtail ragu.

Fan Chinese. I had perfect spicy dry-fried Sichuan chicken.

And sauteed string beans.

Summer Salad

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Weekend things…

Kings Coast Coffee. I got a great iced latte with toasted coconut syrup.

Chocolate mint protein bars – NuGo and Barebell, both 9.5/10.

We give these Cheddies crackers two thumbs up; they are nicely cheesy and crunchy.

Fried brussel sprouts (leftover from a fantastic Friday night sushi dinner at Kissaki) with togarashi, sharp cheddar, and a fried egg.

Crunchy tacos from Burrito Blvd. With chicken, zucchini, corn salsa, tomato salsa, mild salsa, and cheddar.

Lido Kosher Deli is one of our favorite Long Island spots. It doesn’t hurt that we usually go after an ocean-front run on the Long Beach boardwalk! Pastrami stuffed into a knish can’t miss. They have great cole slaw and house-made pickles.

Summer salad plate – plum, plucot, Midnight roma tomatoes, fried halloumi, baked tofu (marinated in honey, vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard, and harissa), honey, and za’atar chili crisp.

Shalom, Mars

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It was a FANTASTIC weekend! We had perfect Brooklyn dates (Gowanus and Williamsburg) with the best foods, drinks, sights, and walks.

Some highlights…

Blue Brown. We really enjoyed this coffee spot and shared an espresso with palm juice and a dirty Thai iced tea.

Homemade coffee shake. Iced coffee with frozen banana, half and half, instant coffee powder, black sesame paste, vanilla protein powder, and brown sugar.

Yogurt bowl. Plain skyr with Heritage Flakes, plucot, blueberries, and birthday cake granola butter + sprinkles.

NYC tip – the Williamsburg location of Bon Bon has a beautiful storefront and all of the selections of the Lower East Side location with a tenth of the line.

Pokito is my favorite bar in the city. My paloma jell-o shot was a work of art and my frozen rum punch came with a bird I got to keep.

Finback Brewery. They didn’t have small pours/flights so I skipped beer and got a delicious Guavamente cocktail – gin, guava, sorel, lemon, and nutmeg.

Three’s Brewing. We tried a few small pours and had a nice smoked peach saison that obviously couldn’t compare their Super Burrito window. We shared a California-style burrito with carne asada, french fries, jack cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa.

Taglio Pizza takeout (buffalo chicken and vodka slices for me) with roasted shredded brussels sprouts and homemade Greek yogurt ranch dip.

Cafe Mars. Aka “unusual Italian.” Aka my favorite meal I’ve ever eaten. My photos were not great with the lighting but the food tasted spectacular. Also the inside was a neon retro dream. [photo from their Instagram]

I had an unphotographed El Diablo – tequila, ginger, lime, and cassis. The service was impeccable and we also started and ended the evening with complimentary drinks. We shared a bunch of things and have some very exciting leftovers. Inside Out Italian Beef – thin sliced Italian spiced chuck eye wrapped around focaccia and giardiniera and served with pepperoncini-beef jus.

Cucamelon – with cucumber, smoked trout roe, and whey granita.

Fried nectarines (my favorite savory dish I have ever been served) – with heirloom tomatoes, ricotta, and shiso. Also garlic knot monkey bread with red sauce.

Waves – homemade pasta, with shrimp, zucchini, mint, squash blossoms, and Calabrian chili. This was the other dish that blew me away; the sauce was a tiny bit sour in a way that balanced everything perfectly.

Scallops with new potato salad, cured egg yolk, and spicy cucumber salad.

Steak Pizzaiola with penne fries.

Desserts – liquor soaked cake with a chocolate pudding sauce and candied eggplant (not for me, apparently, though Adam liked it) and a watermelon sorbet with pistachio cookies and sea salt.

Shalom Japan. Another wonderful dinner where we shared and loved many things. Two cocktails that were greatly enjoyed but I can’t remember a thing about.

Corn ribs with Kewpie, parmesan, chili, and lime. Their special was the best dish of the night, a take on a caprese salad – heirloom tomatoes, plums, umeboshi dressing, koji-marinated tofu, and shiso.

Okonomiyaki with Wagyu pastrami and bonito flakes.

Lox bowl with sushi rice, avocado, Japanese pickles, fried capers (<– divine), and chili mayo.

Matzoh ball ramen soup. We added a foie gras dumpling and a soy-marinated egg.

P.S. I couldn’t take a photo because I was immediately sticky but we also had a Milk Bar marshmallow gooey brownie that was a 20/10.

Maximum Bueno

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This was easily one of our best weekends! I say that every weekend I get to spend with Adam, but still! We got to eat a thousand tasty things and admire a thousand beautiful things in Long Island, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. And our fridge is full of the most exciting leftovers! Highlights…

Amano Cafe Rocket Fuel, cold brew with maple and oat milk.

Southdown Coffee granita with agave and oat milk.

Strawberry smoothie. Frozen strawberries and cherries with water and vanilla protein powder. You can’t tell that those gummies were strawberry cake-shaped but I had a whole theme going.

Something & Nothing seltzer’s new flavor – pineapple and pink grapefruit – was a hit

This Hubba Bubba/Skittles min gum is an 11/10 and I recommend purchasing it. And it’s sugar-free!

Postcard Bakery 100% lived up to the hype. We had raspberry mochi donuts (best donut of my life), a lemon roll, and a sesame chocolate chip cookie.

Sea Cliff shave ice. We got cola and butter pecan with vanilla ice cream (they have the best, chewy ice cream) and mochi.

Thick ice cream. They were out of the chocolate cola flavor (so they will be seeing me again) but we did get to try buttered cherry pie.

We visited the Deep Roots farmers’ market (which is lovely and right on the water in Garvey’s Point) and had several treats. Jerk chicken empanadas.

S’mores cookie.

Homemade garlic bread chicken sandwiches. These were insane. Ciabatta baked with a mixture of butter, garlic, sugar, smoked paprika, gochugaru, and mozzarella cheese / baked chicken marinated in yogurt, lemon, and tons of garlic. Plus roasted broccoli.

Honey’s Bistro. We had a blueberry shaken espresso.

And split a bowl with jerk chicken, sweet plantains, macaroni salad, grilled zucchini, spicy corn, coleslaw, cilantro aioli, and white rice.

Noreetuh. The lighting at this cute/cozy Hawaiian spot was abysmal but I am going to share my unattractive photos because the food was so great. They were doing a pre-fix menu for Restaurant Week so I got to try a ton of stuff. Bigeye tuna poke with macadamia nuts. Plus an amaretto Colada with dark rum, pineapple, and coconut. I also had an unphotographed Mai Tai – best I’ve ever tasted – with dark rum, pineapple, apricot brandy, and orgeat syrup.

Garlic butter shrimp bowl with pineapple, chili, macaroni salad, and steamed rice.

Sundae with chocolate haupia, graham crackers, almonds, Hawaiian black salt, and coconut ice cream.

Super Bueno. These were some of the very best cocktails we’ve ever tasted (and we tried most of the menu!). Salted Plum and Tamarind Milk Punch – charanda, ayuuk, salted plum & tamarind, lojana tea, and milk + Roasted Corn Sour – corn whiskey, reposado tequila, roasted corn, guajillo, lemon, and egg white. 

Adobada Bam Bam – mezcal, adobada falernum, pineapple, lemon, and pineapple shrub, frozen.

Vodka Y Soda – vodka, guava, pasilla, and soda. This is hands-down my favorite drink I’ve ever tasted.

We got nachos as an afterthought and they ended up being the best nachos I’ve ever bought. With mushroom carnitas, poblano, pickled jalapeño, red onion, crema, Mexican cheese blend, cilantro, and mole negro. Now we need to go back again for a full meal!

Win Son. This was my favorite meal of the year (Adam chooses Noreetuh). Plant Daddy cocktail – cilantro-mint tequila, matcha, lemon, simple syrup, and egg white. I also had an unphotographed Breakfast of Champions with almond milk, roasted black sesame, El Dorado 5 year rum, rum cream, and toasted coconut.

Pea shoots with yun hai bean paste, sesame, and fried garlic.

Fried eggplant with black vinegar, labne, and spiced cashews.

Beef roll with garlic-ginger cucumbers and tons of herbs.

Sesame noodles with roasted oyster mushrooms, snow pea leaves, and peanuts.

Wavy noodles with lamb and fermented bean sauce.

Sundae with fried sweet dough, golden sesame ice cream, and red rice condensed milk plus we added butter fried peanuts and cilantro and made it a 15/10.

Gochujang, Kimchi, Sichuan

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This week was yummy! Some highlights include…

Delicious birthday cake iced latte special from New York Beanery.

Trader Joe’s green tea and yuzu spread is pretty good. I shook some into an iced coffee with sweetened condensed milk (8/10).

Used it in a citrus matcha spritzer (9/10).

And stirred it into plain skyr (6/10 – too sweet) with Heritage Flakes, blueberries, and blackberries.

We are still loving/working our way through this giant bin of snack mix. If you spot it at Whole Foods buy it, it contains the best crunchy chickpeas I’ve ever had.

Sushi dinner that we plucked from a conveyer belt ourselves at Kura Revolving Sushi.

It was was a fun meal and the crunchy spicy handrolls were quite good.

Pre-gamed with a green (turquoise!) smoothie from home for some veggies – frozen spinach, banana, and blueberries with water and vanilla protein powder.

Leftover spinach and artichoke gnocchi casserole. We decided we need to make this again asap.

Homemade Dan Dan Noodles. I used ground turkey instead of pork, brown rice udon noodles, and skipped the peanuts but otherwise followed the recipe.

The best nachos I’ve ever made. Kettle sweet and spicy gochujang chips / extra-sharp cheddar cheese / baked chicken breast that was marinated in yogurt, gochujang, gochugaru, and lime juice / chopped radish kimchi and preserved mustard greens caramelized in a skillet with a bit of sugar. Plus steamed/sauteed asparagus with gochujang and sesame seeds on the side.

S’more Years Older

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It was a fun week! Monday my parents were still in town and we took the day off to do Manhattan things with them. P.S. NY readers – we went to Lido Kosher Deli for their last dinner and the food was so good I got too excited to take a photo; you should go immediately.

Wednesday was my birthday and Adam and I took a long walk and got a giant ice cream (with BYOB sprinkles!). Plus I started my day with my free birthday Starbucks (with BYOB sprinkles).

Thursday we went to a bachelorette party and I had a margarita and discovered that the Trader Joe’s watermelon cucumber juice is the best mixer on the planet.

Friday we had reservations at Silver Apricot and did more fun Manhattan stuff. P.S. NY readers – they make some of the best Chinese food in the city and unfortunately are closing on August 11th so get a reservation ASAP.

Some highlights from the week included…

Joe Coffee yuzu elderflower coffee spritzer. The whole family thought this was delicious.

Donut Pub marble cruller. Stopping here after Strand book store is a great date.

Russ & Daughters + Morgenstern’s collab chocolate-covered halvah ice cream bar.

Glace by Noglu‘s Rockefeller Center truck has the same menu as their storefront with half of the line. Classic s’mores – frozen hot chocolate, marshmallow hallo, whipped cream, and chocolate drizzle.

Indoor s’mores bowl. I broiled marshmallows and chocolate chips on top of Heritage Flakes. Served with plain skry.

You know I had a cache of birthday cake snacks. Premier Protein protein shake (7/10), Made Good granola bar (9/10), Pop Art kettle corn (9/10), Sprinkles cupcake cups (11/10).

Chimango chili pineapple wedges have a wonderfully satisfying balance of savory-sweet and a great chewy texture.

This Wild Twist apple was Adam’s and my new favorite variety; crisp, juicy, and sweet.

All the leftovers. This bowl was pasta and harissa chicken from Sonder, pasta and garlicy greens from Rolos, and evoo and cheese from home.

My favorite sheet-pan hash. Roasted purple sweet potatoes and baby bok choy with smoked sockeye salmon and smoked salmon candy. Plus a sauce – plain Greek yogurt, mayo, Sriracha, honey, and rice vinegar – and furikake.

Spinach and artichoke gnocchi bake. This dip-lasagna-gnocchi abomination made a great casserole. Baked Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi; shredded chicken breast; spinach and artichoke sauteed with evoo, garlic, gochugaru, and salt and pepper; ricotta cheese, plain skyr, lemon juice, nutmeg, eggs, and extra-sharp cheddar; baked with mozzarella on top.

Silver Apricot. We shared and loved a ton of dishes. Adam had a great orange wine and I got an apricot spritzer.

Deviled tea eggs with pickled mustard seeds, chili-garlic aioli.

Crispy turnip cakes with scallion chili crisp, pickled radish, and garlic crunch.

Grilled summer squash with cashew chili crisp, cultured cashew cream, and coriander / rice rolls with celtuce, kohlrabi, and hoisin sauce / grilled hen of the woods mushrooms, pickled wood ear mushrooms, and salted egg yolk.

Mille-feuille with caramel / ridiculously good sesame panna cotta with grape granita.

Evil King

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My parents are here visiting for the weekend and we had a wonderful time! We got to explore Kingston, Ridgewood, and had a perfect visit to Untermyer Gardens.

Some of our best stops included…

Orwashers. Adam and I split an everything bagel with fried egg, cheddar, and beef bacon.

Plus a tahini coffee slushie.

Evil Twin. Their beers are always great but my favorite thing this visit was the frozen cola old fasioned.

Salty Lunch Lady is definitely my current favorite NYC restaurant. We had a peanut butter banana cream pie and an Elton Mess that blew everyone’s minds. Plus Adam and I shared a sandwich on the best seeded bread with smashed chicken meatball, feta, and smoked paprika mayo.

Kingston Bread. I had an iced latte with roasted corn syrup and a marbled black and white cookie.

Boice Bros Ice Cream. My black cherry scoop – with marshmallow – was perfect.

Kingston Standard Brewing for pizza. Their crust is great. This was Margherita with pesto and arugula.

Sonder. Best meal of the weekend! Some of my favorites were the house sesame bread with honey butter and grilled ramp butter.

Pickled jammy eggs with good olive oil and crispy shallots.

Roasted squash.

The burger with pickles, American, and special sauce. Plus the crispiest tater tots.

Rolos. Second best meal of the weekend. I only took two photos but they ended up being my favorite things! Pandan colada.

House polenta bread and stracciatella cheese with silk chili and sumac.

Nom Win

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This weekend included some fun Long Island stops as well as a trip to Bushwick for dinner and my favorite street art in the city.

Some highlights…

Brunch at Orwasher’s. We shared an Edith’s tahini frozen iced coffee.

And lox toast with goat cheese and capers.

Instant coffee I carried home from Denver.

Summer fruit.

Gong Cha‘s cream brulee series has my heart. With strawberry milk and pudding.

S’mores! My sister-in-law got us a mini fire pit kit so we took Webster on a mini picnic.

I used peanut butter sandwich crackers, milk chocolate, and vegan marshmallows.

Whole Foods’ pineapple pie cookie with sprinkles!

Reminder to myself that the Whole Foods hot bar has great options when you go at lunch time. Spicy cucumber sesame salad, hard-boiled egg, sauteed veggies.

Salmon salad rolls. Canned sockeye salmon with mayo, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, celery seed, smoked paprika, and scallions on brioche hot dog rolls. Plus sauteed asparagus with lemon, pepper, and garlic.

Nowon – best dinner of the summer so far. We tried and loved their wood-fired margherita pizza with gojuchang marinara, mozzarella, basil, and chili oil.

Horchata with hibiscus, pineapple citrus, almond, and cinnamon / Smoke & Mirrors – spicy mezcal, amaretto, and pineapple / seasonal cocktail with cherry, sour plum, yuzu, and soju.

The best drink of the night was the Dew Drop with added Tito’s; lavender, yuzu, and juniper.

We shared the seven-course “Mix Tape” pre-fixe and every dish was a showstopper. Whipped ricotta toast with homemade focaccia, citrus jam, and chili oil. I was expecting not to care for this but it ended up being my second favorite dish of the night!

Broccolini a la Caesar with black sesame, parmesan, and candied anchovies.

Spicy gojuchang fried chicken.

Chopped cheese rice cakes.

Honey garlic butter tater tots. <– my favorite dish. These guys are so perfectly crunchy!

Legendary cheeseburger = double smashed patties, kimchi special sauce, roasted kimchi, pickles, onion, and American cheese. After Elder Greene, I think this is the 3rd best cheeseburger in NYC.

Plus dessert I didn’t capture – honeydew panna cotta with mint and lime.