el almacén

el almacén

you may have walked past this unassuming little green awning while strolling down driggs and never known what delicious aromas were waiting for you on the other side of the door...  i doubt it though because everyone and their mother knows this place is amazing and there's always and hour and a half wait when we try to sneak in on the weekends!  hence, jack and i are turning into blue plate special kind of folks.  who doesn't want to eat dinner at 6?  

whether you wait it out or catch an extremely late lunch, you're not going to be disappointed here.  you'll find an assorted mix of spanish inspired dishes like the paella and ceviche as well as dry aged steaks with bold sauces to accompany them.  we started with avocado fries (the best) and then worked our way into the grilled corn with chipotle mayo and cotija (mexican cheese) and a paella.  we finished up with the taco special, a tender short rib topped with some serious heat.    

el almacen is definitely a gem.  the interior is warm and comfortable, the servers are very friendly and the wine list is as pleasing to the palette as the dinner menu.  yes, they do deliver as well. 

roman's

roman's

i'm not generally one that's left speechless but during our meal at roman's, all i could do was close my eyes, savor what was on my palette and enjoy every last little bite.  we ordered a nice mix of everything on the menu and each course was as delectable as the one that came before it.  and surprise surprise, it's all being cranked out from a tucked away, laid back spot in fort greene called roman's.

chef david cooked for marlow & sons right here in williamsburg and then went and spent some time learning the ropes in italy.  trust me, you'll reap the benefits when you try his scratch made bread and pasta.  good thing he came back, brookyn's culinary scene is much better off with him here!  the menu at roman's has a plethora of farm to table starters, tender fresh-made pastas, sustainable meats and what's been called, 'brooklyn's best ice cream,' for dessert.  you won't find a ton of options on the menu but everything there is layered with robust flavors and the finest ingredients.

i have to tell you about my three favorites.  the tagliatelle with pancetta and ramps is the perfect way to start.  the sweet, garlicky ramps pair perfectly with the salty pancetta; you'll twirl through the plate in no time.  as for the entree, i can't remember the last time i had veal but since it was on special, we decided to give it a try.  i wasn't sure what to expect but after the first taste, my mouth was watering for more.  i don't know how chef david prepared it but on a flavor level, i would put this right up there with a leuger's steak.  i know; crazy, right?  it was that good though.  last but not certainly not least, chef david created a luxuriously velvety chocolate sorbet laced with salty deliciousness.  pair this with a few fresh strawberries and forget it, nothing better.

go soon, get there early don't be afraid to just order one of everything on the menu. no reservations here but they do take credit cards and the wait staff is extremely friendly and knowledgable.  enjoy~

cityfish, orlando

cityfish

anyone that knows me knows that i can't say no to a lobster roll.  they are my absolute favorite!  while working in orlando, you can imagine how excited i was when one of my colleagues told me he had found a great spot for them.  i'll tell you all about it, here.

oh, and you know what else made my week?!  on my flight down to orlando from nyc, i happened to be on the same plane as eden grinshpan! you know, the girl that does, 'eden eats,' on foodtv?  in real life she really is tall, skinny and beautiful... with no make-up. and now that i think about it, the last time i flew into st. petersburg, i saw geoffrey zakarian at baggage claim.  i need to hang out in florida more often~

marinated tofu & buckwheat noodles

i promise, i'm going to get back out there and into the restaurant scene this week! lately, i've just been quite the homebody and have enjoyed cozying up to the stove~

it seems like a lot of ingredients but this recipe shouldn't take you more than about 30 minutes to prepare.

cast iron lobster mac & cheese

cast iron lobster mac & cheese

you know how you pass some kind of gorgeous ingredient in the supermarket and you're suddenly inspired to make something with it? well, it happened to me this past weekend. there in front of me was a pound of gorgeous fresh shucked lobster meat so i felt the need to make my version of a delicious lobster mac. cast iron skillet and all, i went for it! recipe follows

seafood chowder at home

seafood chowder

i love good fresh chowder but was hesitant to tackle the fish stock part of it.  to make things a little easier (and faster), i did the stock last night, along with all of my chopping and dinner tonight was simple and quick. this is one of ina's recipes, i just added a little extra white wine and mixed in some old bay to give it a little more kick. serve along with a few slices of good crusty bread for dipping~

sweet chick

sweet chick

'for real... that was fast and delicious!' those were the exact words spoken by jack as we walked out of sweet chick tonight. a girlfriend of mine told me sweet chick was opening up a couple of weeks ago and i was stoked to try it out. it's quaint, they play saucy tunes and the food was all kinds of down home goodness. we had a couple of draft beers (the nut brown ale was particularly tasty) and a romaine salad with cornbread croutons to start. after we got our healthy greens out of the way, we jumped right in and ordered the mac and cheese and signature chicken & waffles. there's lots of good mac and cheese in this neighborhood but sweet chick uses nice plump shell pasta and the cheese sauce was smooth and creamy. and they do a ritz cracker crumble on top. seriously? yes, so yummy.  and then there was the main event. what set their chicken & waffles apart was the different options for the waffles. you can do  sweet, cheesy or savory.  we opted for the mushroom and rosemary waffles and smothered them with syrup and butter. such a naughty snack but oh, so worth it. i recommend you cut a bit of the waffle, slather on some of the chive butter, stack on a piece of chicken and then dunk the whole thing in the miniature bucket of syrup. note: keep napkins close 

sweet chick is warm, comfortable and will make you feel good from the inside out.  your belly will be very happy with you and you'll kind of feel like your sitting in your granny's kitchen. loved this spot, will definitely be back! 

 

station

station

we had a group of nearly 20 for a good friend's birthday last night at station. it proved to be a very cozy spot for dinner and although small, did a great job of hosting such a large party. 

station is situated right next to the bedford subway stop and has a warm, very comfortable ambiance. a charming little feature i noticed was the way the cocktail menus were inserted into old bound books.  at first i thought the book was a serious wine list but quickly realized, rather, it was a conversation piece to chat over while perusing the list. the aperol spritzers and old fashion cocktails were among the favorites.  everyone loved the rock candy that was used as a stirrer in the old fashions, such a cute idea!

as for starters and mains, the mussels and burger were the two items everyone seemed to enjoy most.  the broth for the mussels was garlicky and smooth, perfect for being soaked up with a crusty piece of bread.  we also loved the nutella crepes for dessert. they were served warm with chopped hazelnuts and i thought it made for a perfect combo of crunch and richness.

the menu here transitions with the seasons so be on the lookout for new items each time you go.  and enjoy the scene of the open kitchen! i love places where you can see your meal prepared right in front of you.  all in all, station is a great new staple for the 'burg-

savory spice, st. petersburg

savory spice

my goodness, it feels like ages since i've posted here... i've been quite the busy girl these past few weeks; work's been a bit on the manic side, we've been on a couple of ski trips and our latest travel plans landed us down here in st. petersburg, florida to visit jack's parents. i will be back in brooklyn soon enough though! and there are plenty of new restaurants on my list!  more on that soon-
for now, back to this little gem of a store in st. petersburg. i knew there had been a bustling art scene here for some time and i think foodies are now finding their place here as well.  in addition to the local saturday farmer's market, i fell in love with an adorable little shop called savory spice.  check out the link and go to the travel page to read more about it. it's a must see if you're in the neighborhood!

i have arrived... cookin' with my new le creuset

beef shanks in red wine sauce

yep, it was everything they said it would be... i was able to scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pot and save the flavor without the bitterness of a burn and clean up couldn't have been simpler... it just made me happy! my dearest gifted me a 5 qt. marseille le creuset braiser for christmas and i did a delicious beef shank sauce in it this past weekend. i found the recipe in food & wine and liked it because it was pretty simple and straight forward. it was great for a small dinner party too. there were four of us and there was plenty to go around; be sure to serve the dish at the table so your guests can soak up all of the delicious sauce with hunks of bread once their plate has been cleaned : )

a taste of thailand, siam rice cooking school

siam rice thai cookery school

who would have thought that this white girl from ohio could actually make a decent curry? well, not on my own but it was pretty delicious! jack and i did a day at the siam rice thai cookery school in chiang mai, thailand and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves : ) check out the travel page for full details~

saltie

saltie

you'd be surprised at how many people can dine in a 300 square foot space. i certainly was when i strolled into saltie today. i'd heard it was a great lunch spot so on my first day off before christmas, i decided to check it out.

the seats and benches that lined the perimeter of the very modest 'dining room,' were filled with hipsters and foodies alike. i secretly loved the layout because i could check out what they had  ordered without appearing too nosy : ) when it was my turn, i had to go for the special; egg/rice bowl with veggies, topped with an earthy mole type sauce and spriggy onions. it only took them a few minutes to whip it up and after that i found myself a cozy stool on the window. rice and veggies seems like a very basic dish but the fresh, bold flavors cooked into it made it absolutely delicious. i will definitely be back to dive into one of the specialty sandwiches soon! that's the bummer about dining alone, eating one dish isn't nearly as fun as sharing several!

although saltie had their own delicious looking pastries, after i finished my lunch, i went next store to get dessert from a hip little bake shop called milk.  i typically love the crack pie but today i opted for a compost cookie.  think tate's but richer and more flavor packed. 

not a bad first day of vacation : )

*special feature - NoMad, nyc*

nomad

you know as well as i do, there are tons of reviews out there for restaurants in manhattan (which is why i typically stick to williamsburg). i had a special experience at nomad this week though. the ambiance, service and most important, the sumptuous flavors in the food, made for an unforgettable evening. we kicked things off in the library. it's a very intimate feeling space having books that line the walls and overstuffed lounge chairs and sofas in plush fabrics. it's tucked at the back of the restaurant and you get there by walking through the main dining room and past the bar proper. after you've soaked in the rich colors of the leather bound books and grandious feeling of the double height ceiling, you'll notice the cocktail menu is quite extensive. after tasting a few that had gone around, i can say each was as the delicious as the one prior. my favorite being the headless horseman, in case you're looking for a suggestion.

we were fortunate enough to dine with someone who actually works at nomad so as you can imagine, the amount of food we were able to sample was incredible. being with good friends, we all decided we'd share everything and i was glad we did! before our starters, a decadent fruit de mer was sent out. each bite contained an oyster, succulent piece of lobster or taste of crab. it was the perfect introduction to the meal. after that, we ordered the tagliatelle, bone marrow, cauliflower and tuna tartare. there's a soft spot in my belly for pasta so i'd have to say the tagliatelle was my favorite. the scratch made noodles had been rolled thin to perfection; there's really nothing like good fresh pasta. the marrow was also surprisingly bold. it was done almost like a sausage stuffing but had much richer flavor and just required a taste before your eyes do that thing where they sink a little and then roll to one side (yes, that good).

next, we were onto the entrees. i had heard so many amazing things about the chicken (i recall it won a best of year award from esquire magazine), i pleaded with the group to get one for the table. all were in agreement, it was a must have. this special dish is actually presented to you whole before they carve it for serving. upon sight, you kind of think, ok, it's a chicken with lots of pretty garnishes. when you taste your first piece though, you realize this is something special. they somehow bake all of the luxurious, rich flavors underneath the skin and keep the insides of the breast perfectly tender and juicy. i know ordering chicken doesn't sound like the most exciting thing to do but trust me, you've never had chicken prepared the nomad way. they even serve up the dark meat in a gravy type sauce delivered in its own mini cast iron dish. i can even talk about the other entrees after describing the chicken. we had duck and warm lobster and don't get me wrong, they were great but the chicken was on a whole separate level.

we had definitely had our fill after we finished the entrees. we perused the dessert menu and thought we'd just share one for the table. subsequently six desserts showed up. delight : ) my two favorites were the milk and honey and the warm brioche and pear but you can't go wrong with any of them.

the real treat came at the end of the meal when we got to go downstairs and see the kitchen. i was amazed at how immaculate and efficient the space was. you could tell each soldier had their mission as tasks were being carried out in militant fashion. they had a prep station for salads, sides and room service for the hotel, a pastry station and just four guys cooking on the range to crank out everyone's entrees. it was clear this team has a passion for what's coming out of their kitchen. i also loved seeing the prized truffle resting in it's own glass jar atop a pile of risotto. maybe next time i'll get to sample a little of that too ; )

what an enjoyable experience, every moment and touchpoint was well thought out and delicious. brian and cc especially, thank you and happy holidays!!!

chimu

chimu

if you're looking for authentic, peruvian cuisine (or just a good ceviche and lomo), look no further than chimu, located over on union avenue. jack's cousin came out to williamsburg to visit with us for the day and being that his family is from peru, we thought we'd give chimu a try. i knew we'd picked a winner after watching both of them peruse the menu. the staples reminded them of family recipes and old memories.

we started with ceviche. it was a good, lime cured version that was perfectly tart and had a colorful mix of vegetables, yuca and potatoes. the juice was so delicious i wound up drizzling it all over the rest of my meal!

after the ceviche, we shared a jalea (fried, mixed seafood) and a grilled skirt steak with rice and beans.  i'm not generally a huge fan of fried foods but their batter was light and not greasy at all. the shrimp, oysters, calamari, crab legs and fish were perfectly tender and seasoned ever so slightly.

and to finish off the meal, we shared a few picarones doused in sweet syrup. sinful, really; they were just sinful.

the exterior and decor is very minimal and sleek. go for the food though and be sure you have a big appetite!

traif

traif

we're not usually ones to make reservations but it was high time we tried traif.  i've been hearing great things about it since it opened but the past couple of times we'd stopped by for dinner, the wait was out the door. so, i finally bit the bullet, made a reservation and invited a few close friends to enjoy the experience with me.

at first view of the menu, i was reminded of alta, the great tapas restaurant in the west village. there was a sampling of cuisine from all over and the waitress recommended sharing a number of items for the table. fair warning, it's hard to ignore your gut when it begs you to get crazy and just order one of everything... we restrained though and settled for eight of the small plates and 4 of the more robust dishes.  it was the right amount for six people; that paired with cocktails and bacon covered donuts for dessert, we were definitely content when we were finished.

we started with roasted brussels sprouts, a roasted carrot and sunflower seed salad, seared scallops and salt & pepper shrimp. the dishes flavors didn't in any way tie together, other than the fact that they were all incredibly delicious. the portions weren't large but when each bite explodes with flavor, all you really need is a taste.

we moved on to my personal favorite; the sauteed broccoli rabe with portobella-truffle toast, a fried egg and parmesan on top. i'm telling you, this one dish will make your night, don't skip it! after that, we indulged in pork cheeks in a creamy polenta (who knew i liked these?), strawberry glazed baby back ribs, quail served atop biscuits with bacon gravy and short rib sliders served with sweet potato fries and a spicy chipotle sauce.

the menu rotates relatively frequently but regardless when you go, i'm sure you won't be disappointed.  we were surprised at how reasonable the cost was as well.  we had a six-top table and ordered two bottles of wine as well as a few cocktails and paid $65 per person. the service was warm and friendly, the atmosphere was laid back and comfortable and most importantly, the food was spot on. love, love, love traif.

antica pesa

antica pesa

yes, these guys get style points! i checked out antica pesa with a girlfriend of mine last night and really enjoyed the experience.  we were surprised at how 'soho,' it felt. it's on a relatively quiet block on berry street and from the outside, you wouldn't get the sense that a warm, sexy space greets you on the other side of the door. cinder block walls enveloped the dining room but sleek, modern furniture and architectural detailing were apparent throughout. they had soft banquette seating at the front of the restaurant and the dining tables were broken up with a statement fireplace and grand scaled lounge furniture to keep you comfortable while you wait to be seated. i may have to go back for the sake of trying the food again. my pasta was a bit doughy and our bread unfortunately wasn't fresh. the service was great though, the waiters were very attentive and helpful on menu recommendations. i'll keep you posted after i give it another go : )

spicy three bean chili

since 'miss sandy,' has finally made her way out of the northeast, i felt like it was time to get back into the kitchen and make a nice warm meal. and since we had snow on the ground for the first time this morning, a big pot of chili seemed to fit the bill~

frankie & johnny's

franky & johnny's

can you say lobster purse? yes, that's right. wonton wrappers stuffed with lobster, marscarpone cheese and truffle oil. this was one of those bites that makes your eyes roll to the back of your head; it was so delicious and fresh! the rest of the details for this meal are on the travel page, toggle over and have a look~

gwynnett st.

gwynnett st.

when you peruse the menu, don't try to decipher what your dish is going to look or taste like. that's what's most fun about this restaurant. you probably won't be able to tell what flavors make up your meal, you'll just know that it's delicious and unlike anything you've experienced. love, love the interesting combinations here and laid back atmosphere.

gwynnett st. lives on an unassuming block near the graham stop in williamsburg. from the outside, you'd think you were just walking into a cozy, tucked away restaurant but what awaits inside is pure culinary deliciousness. after you order a fancy cocktail or bottle of wine, get your meal started with the whiskey bread. it kind of reminds me of the warm scratch-made biscuits my grandmother used to make but this bread has subtle hints of whiskey and comes with creamy butter to slather on top.  maybe you should get two orders, just to be safe...

next we did mushrooms and the autumn roots appetizer. both looked incredibly simple when they arrived at the table but had layers of flavor that seemed to get more interesting the further in we dove.

i ordered the trout for my entree. it was tender and delicious but the duck that a friend of mine ordered was the star of the show. it was perfectly cooked and served atop pureed vegetables of which i can't say that i even know how to pronounce. 

dessert was a whole process in itself. again, what arrived at the table seemed relatively simple but the flavor combinations were surprising and well thought out. paired with a finger of fernet, dessert may have been my favorite part of the meal.

at gwynnett st. you can walk in and select anything off the menu and have a truly unique dining experience. be sure to make reservations though, after esquire named this place one of the best new restaurants of 2012, tables became even trickier to come by. 

cacciatore au vin

cacciatore au vin

i found a chicken cacciatore recipe i wanted to try and realized that adding wine and reducing the sauce at the end of the cooking process made the sauce extra delicious.  hence, the lengthy title. this dish is great reheated the next day but don't be surprised if there are no leftovers : )