Category Archives: Food

April 14, 2014 · 12:24 am

Springtime Experiences

It is finally Spring and I have been quite busy in the past few weeks…

I received a hair cut from Bumble & Bumble Model Project. The style of the cut was layers with bangs so now my hair is slightly past my shoulders, which initially seemed like quite a bit cut off but have gotten used to it now. I also got my hair dyed a reddish brown color. Below, is the new color.

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I finally had the chance to visit Empire State Building observatory deck for the very first time, with one of my friends who was able to get a discount for us. It was a breathtaking experience and I loved the gorgeous views of the city! And sunset which was absolutely beautiful, bathing the whole city in an orange-pinkish glow. This touristy activity is well worth it.

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I attended the exciting Supreme Asian Chef Culinary Battle in Atlantic City (with free appetizers and drinks!) with a great group of people. There were six chefs total battling for two spots to compete in Las Vegas. We got to see the chefs cook up a storm, with amazing creations using the ingredients: Sea bass, mushroom and egg.

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I had a chance to see the iLuminate Artist of Light Show performance, which got its beginnings on “America’s Got Talent.” It is a dance-in-the-dark adventure, with an electrifying mash-up of music, technology and illusions. It tells the story of an artist who has a magic paintbrush that brings characters to life, who inadvertently creates monsters who threaten to destroy everything he holds dear. Below, a photo of me with some of the cast members.

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Spending the evening in Long Island, ice skating at Iceland Rink to popular hit songs was loads of fun then heading to the Cheesecake Factory, which is my #1 favorite chain restaurant.

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The Cheesecake Factory has an awesome menu and something new called “Skinnylicious” menu which is lower calorie items. I selected the steak medallions, which came with mashed potatoes, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, mushroom and red wine sauce. Absolutely delicious and fresh and at half the calorie count!

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Getting to see Broadway musical, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical which “tells the inspiring true story of Carole King’s remarkable rise from teenage songwriter to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.” It was wonderful with an amazingly talented cast. I really enjoyed the bliss of hearing pop hits, such as “Some Kind of Wonderful,” “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” “He’s Sure the Boy I Love,” and “You’ve Lost that Loving Feeling,” which all gave me the feeling to get up and dance!

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Attending an ElectroYoga Pop Up event, which got my adrenaline running as we paired traditional yoga moves and positions (as well as some interesting lifting and twisting of body) with fast beats and bass. After the workout, we had small bites: Fruit, popcorn, chips & hummus and vendors of sweet treats, chocolate, tea, makeup, clothing and free massages.

electroyogaLive taping of “America’s Got Talent” auditions in Madison Square Garden, which is always a treat. It’s so much fun to see the acts, especially the amazing ones. I especially liked the opening act, a slew of Asian dancers in green who did this lovely Jasmine ballet routine that all the judges were awed by. Most of the other acts were just okay by comparison, but there were a couple of other decent dance acts, a singing act and a very unique & interesting one involving flying/lit up wooden animals that involved a bit of song and dance. Then of course there were a bunch of really bad ones, which was entertaining as well especially because they usually think they did pretty well. And I love seeing Nick Cannon and my favorite judge, Howie Mandel! I also knew the warm up comedian, Tom Kelly (from the days when I made my living attending television shows like “The Newlywed Game” and “The View”) and he actually remembered me by name! Always a pleasure to run into him.

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Today, I had the chance to enjoy a cute little place called Just Sweet Cafe. It’s mostly desserts, some nice bubble tea options and a few appetizer and noodle/rice dish options. There wasn’t too much to choose from for the savory treats, so I just ordered the green onion pancake with curry. The pancake tasty- Very thin and extremely crispy- and not as oily as usually so that was a plus. Also the curry had a nice flavor to it and wasn’t at all spicy. It came with potatoes which was yummy.

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Then I ordered a special dessert that consisted of Taiwanese shaved ice topped with green tea ice cream, condensed milk, red bean, mochi of varying colors, mango, strawberry and kiwi. Such a delightful combination of flavors, textures and colors! All the ingredients came together beautifully and the condensed milk brought everything together perfectly. It was delectable!

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Just Sweet Cafe
83 Third Avenue
New York, NY

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March 13, 2014 · 10:12 pm

Winter Restaurant Week 2014

Winter Restaurant Week has now passed, but here is a  sampling of restaurants I tried this time around. Let’s begin with lunches…

City Lobster

City Lobster

Appetizer: Lettuce wedge salad, complete with cucumbers, tomatoes, crispy onions, bacon, and bleu cheese. Even though I’m not a huge fan of ice berg lettuce, I really liked the toppings.
Main: Fish and Chips were great. The cod was extremely flaky and I would have liked slightly more crispy but the French fries were spot on.
Dessert: Profiteroles (large cream puffs) with coffee ice cream and chocolate on top. This was delectable. The coffee ice cream inside complements the full sweet chocolate flavor.
Service: Good.
Location:
City Lobster
121 W 49 St
New York, NY

Craftbar

Craftbar

Appetizer: The warm pecorino fondue w/ acacia honey, hazelnuts & pepperoncini, as well as 4 long pieces of crostini, was out of this world amazing— I love the creamy taste of the thick pecorino cheese. The honey and pine nuts worked well with the cheese, while the crunchy crostinis were the perfect accompaniment.
Main: Lumache Pasta Bolognese. The pasta was cooked al dente and the ragu with the sauce worked together beautifully. I would have liked a little more cheese on it, but overall was a solid choice.
Dessert: Chocolate peanut butter pie with honey roasted peanuts was yummy. It was light, and had chocolate mousse as well as slight peanut butter flavor. The honey roasted peanuts added a layer of deliciousness.
Service: Very competent and friendly wait staff.
Location:
Craftbar
900 Broadway
New York, NY

Now, onto the dinners!

Rayuela

Rayuela

Starter: Cheesy bread was amazing. We were only given one piece, but I definitely could have had many more.
Appetizer: Garlic shrimp with foccacia bread. The garlic shrimp was extremely flavorful but had some specks of hot pepper so was a bit spicy. The foccacia bread was disappointing, as it seemed to be just regular bread.
Main: Salmon with butternut squash and brussel sprouts was good. The sauce was enjoyable and I liked the crispness of the salmon.
Dessert: Bread pudding with caramel sauce and bananas were okay. It wasn’t bread pudding in the traditional sense, but the pieces were still quite moist and I liked the sauce.
Service: Pretty good
Location:
Rayuela
165 Alllen St
New York, NY

L'Ecole

L’Ecole

Appetizer: Spinach fettuccine with braised duck leg ragu made with tomato jam and carrots. This was well done- Wonderful pasta with plenty of meat.
Main: Braised pork osso buco with risotto Milanese and gremolata was mouthwateringly good. The risotto had a robust flavor and the pork osso buco was perfectly tender and came off the bone easily.
Dessert: Chocolate with apple crisp was light and delightful.
Service: Attentive and thoughtful
Location:
L’Ecole
462 Broadway
New York, NY

Brasserie 8 1/2

Brasserie 8 1/2

Amuse-bouche: Chestnut soup had a nice flavor to it.
Appetizer: Consommé de Boeuf – Short Rib Consommé, Ravioli, Parsnips, Black Truffles
Side: French fries were so good, with just the right amount of crunch.
Main: Filet Mignon – Petit Filet, Potato Croquettes, Espelette Pepper Bearnaise
At first, my filet mignon did not come with the potato croquettes but they made up for it by giving me an extra one. The petit filet itself was delicious enough on its own… Perfectly tender, flavorful, but would have liked more of the sauce. The potato croquettes were decent, but I preferred the French fries.
Dessert: I was able to try both.

The tarte au citron (Meyer Lemon Tart) was pretty good. There was a strong lemon flavor and it was both tangy and sweet. I enjoyed the crust, however did not discern the taste of thyme scented honey and the crème fraiche was tasteless.

Macaron – Vanilla Macaron, Valhrona Chocolate Ganache, Hazelnut Ice Cream
I enjoyed the macaron more. The French Macaron was large, dusted with powdered sugar and had the perfect consistency and chewy texture. The Valhrona chocolate ganache was rich, creamy, delicious. The hazelnut ice cream was very tasty as well.

Service: Not the best and had a long wait time in receiving our meals. We received a plate of mini treats to make up for it: Sea salt caramel macarons, raspberry cookies, biscotti and mini chocolate chip cookies. All of the sweet treats were wonderful, especially the macaron and chocolate chip cookie.
Location:
Brasserie 8 1/2
9 West 57 St
New York, NY

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March 4, 2014 · 9:51 pm

Restaurant Week Lunch at David Burke Kitchen

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I recently had a chance to dine at the lovely David Burke Kitchen for Restaurant Week. The restaurant “blends the cool, industrial simplicity of SoHo’s airy lofts with the rustic warmth of a country abode.”

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The seating was a little tight, but I loved the atmosphere and the imaginative, playful American cuisine offered on the menu. On the the table was a cute little bucket filled with purple grapes and David Burke’s famous pretzel bread sticks that are wonderfully seasoned and flavorful.

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For my appetizer, I chose the lobster soup, which consisted of lobster dumplings, white bean and a brown broth that is poured over the dumplings. The lobster dumplings were delicious little bites with a lot of lobster flavor, but I wasn’t a big fan of the s0up broth.

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My friend ordered the pretzel crusted crab cake which he graciously shared with me. This was absolutely wonderful – The pretzel complemented the crab cake part and it was cooked to crispy perfection and full of robust flavor that wasn’t seafood-y at all.

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It was tough to pick the main course, but the waitress sold me on one of the brunch specials: Fried chicken with eggs, sausage polenta, and biscuit. This was a huge portion and I had to take home half of it, so I was quite satisfied. The fried chicken was crispy delicious and I really enjoyed the red sauce that it came with- Slightly sweet and very good. The eggs with the sausage were tasty- Fresh and flavorful. The biscuit was warm, buttery, delightful.

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For dessert, I had Rocky Mountain Road Sundae. which was delectable. When the waiter brought it to the table, he poured the special chocolate sauce that hardens, over the brown butter ice cream. The sundae also came with whipped cream, bananas, brownie bites and peanut brittle. The brown butter ice cream just by itself was delicious. It had a sweet, light flavor and everything combined together (especially the peanut brittle) was a  concoction of delight.

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I thoroughly enjoyed my meal at David Burke Kitchen and the service was a dream.

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David Burke Kitchen
23 Grand Street
New York, NY

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February 27, 2014 · 1:23 pm

Restaurant Week at Smoke Jazz Club

I recently dined at Smoke Jazz Club for Restaurant Week and even got to see an awesome live jazz show with no additional charge. The interior of Smoke Jazz Club is a little small, but cozy and comfortable. I had two lamb sliders with French fries for my appetizer, which were delicious. The lamb was perfectly cooked, moist, juicy and flavorful. The fries were also very tasty.

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I was torn between ribs or fried chicken for my main course, but finally decided on fried chicken. It came with collared greens with bacon and corn bread, all in a cute basket. The fried chicken was wonderful – Crispy, fresh, full of flavor, and plenty of it – I ended up taking half of it home. The corn bread was pretty good- crumbly, warm and smooth. The collared greens amazing – Just the right amount of salt, and the loved the taste of bacon.

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For dessert, there was only one choice: S’mores Brownie. I would have appreciated other options, but the brownie was pretty darn good. The brownie came with sweet marshmallow fluff and sauce on top. The brownie was incredibly chocolaty (it even had chocolate chips), rich and the marshmallow complemented it perfectly.

While we were eating our meal, we had the privilege of seeing Baylor Project perform, featuring Jean Baylor, Marcus Baylor, Allyn John-piano, Marvin Sewell-guitar, and Richie Goods-bass. At first it was just instrumental which was nice, but I’ve never been a huge fan of jazz so didn’t do much for me. Then, singer Jean Baylor came up to perform with the band. She was fun, welcoming, friendly and had great stage presence. She sang in a variety of genres: R&B, Gospel and Jazz. “Her sweet sultry voice is poignant, smooth and intoxicatingly ear friendly like a young modern day Nancy Wilson.”

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So even though Smoke Jazz Club is a bit far, located up on 105 St, my friend and I both had a marvelous time and really enjoyed the delicious meal.

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Smoke Jazz Club
2751 Broadway
New York,NY

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February 20, 2014 · 12:19 am

Luncheon Tasting at Bouley

Dining at Bouley is quite a delightful & delicious experience. When first walking in, you are greeted by coat check and the wood paneling filled from top to bottom with red and green apples, which gives off a sweet, crisp wonderful scent.

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Upon entering the actual restaurant, you are transported into a world of elegance and splendor. There are plush dark velvet blue seats, walls painted a lighter blue, bordered with beautiful white lilies.

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After the rest of our party arrived, we were escorted to the main dining room, which is warm and lovely, giving off a Parisian-feeling with vaulted ceilings. “The interior features limestone from the Versailles quarry, a handcrafted fireplace and 19th century-inspired quarter-sawn oak and walnut parquet floors.”

We are given two pieces of bread to start with. I liked the one with apple and raisin- Soft, sweet and tasty. Then came two amuse-bouches that were oh so good. The first, a pink concoction that tasted of watermelon puree and had a sprinkling of sesame seed and brittle, a bit of cream and the surprise taste of smooth, flavorful cheese at the bottom. The other bite was truffle on top of a savory, wonderful sauce and thin cracker.

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Next, was our appetizer and I ordered the chlorophyll soup, which came bright green and was made out of kale, spinach, sweet peas, asparagus and other green ingredients. It was hearty, savory creamy and full of flavor.

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Before our next course, along came the famous bread cart, complete with around 10+ different types of bread. I enjoyed the rosemary and garlic, as well as the one with blackcurrant. There was also a special one that is a combination of 3 different types of bread. All of it was delicious, but dare I say, too much bread!

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I had to try the Porcini Flan (one of Bouley’s most known dishes), which consists of Alaskan Live Dungeness Crab and black truffle dashi. The dish may not look like much in the image below, but the flavors here are incredible and the crab extremely tender and delicious. The black truffle and egg custard add to the taste and everything combines together beautifully.

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The next course was organic Long Island duck, which came within a sauce of Hudson Valley organic hand milled polenta and confit of young organic clementines. The duck was cooked to perfection and the sauce was sweet and worked well with the duck. I did not like the dates with prosciutto cooked in duck fat on the side though.

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I also tried the beef cheeks with blue kale gnocchi. The beef cheeks were slow braised kobe style and quite good- A bit spicy but not too much. The beef was tender, full flavored and the gnocchi were creamy and delicious. I actually liked this dish better.

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We were given a little taste of fingerling potato mash, which was fresh made, still warm, velvety smooth, fluffy and had the yummy taste of potatoes and butter.

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Next, came our first dessert. I had the strawberries with amaretto ice cream. The flavor of the amaretto ice cream was intense and wonderful. The fruit, very sweet sauce and ice cream worked well together.

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The final course was hot Valrhona molten cake with chocolate mousse, white chocolate ice cream and it was simply divine! The chocolate was indeed hot and oozed out of the souffle cake. It was full of rich chocolate flavor, perfectly velvety smooth, and just so darn delectable.  The ice cream wasn’t all that flavorful and I could have done without the mousse, but the cake was good enough to stand on its own. If this was the only course I had at Bouley, I would have been satisfied…. That’s how good it was.

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We even got to try some truffles and chocolate which was so sweet of Bouley!

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This luncheon tasting meal will go down in history as one of my favorite meals ever. And it’s such a steal at $55, especially compared to the $175 6-course tasting menu for dinner. Also, the service was impeccable. Such a beautiful restaurant (now one of my favorites) with little treats in between courses, more bread than you can handle, with an elegant (jackets-required), but not pretentious atmosphere.

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Bouley
163 Duane Street
New York, NY

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February 13, 2014 · 10:29 pm

Chinese New Year Parade at AC

This past weekend, I walked in the Chinese New Year Parade in Atlantic City with some great friends- Some I already knew and many I just met with the group,  Asian in NY. We each were given a special costume to wear during the parade. Mine was a lovely shiny orange color with gold brocading and flower design detailing.

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There were also bigger Victorian style dresses that I absolutely loved. My favorite is the white one with pale shimmery pink satin and gold accents.

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We finally got into formation for the parade and got to stand on one of the floats. It was pretty awesome to be up high and see everything from that vantage point.

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However, only a certain number of people were allowed to be on the float, so we had to walk the rest of the parade. It turned out to be not so bad- It had started to snow gently, which was better than last year when it rained.  We walked on the boardwalk and then through a couple casinos. I had a wonderful time waving to spectators and fans, and enjoyed having my picture snapped and getting cheered or clapped on. The parade ended at Bally’s and we got to see an amazing lion dance performance.

After that, we were all very hungry so was happy to indulge in a free buffet lunch. There were chicken wings, veal, sausage, mashed potato, pastas, chow mien, pork dumplings, vegetable stir fry and more. The food itself was mediocre at best, but we couldn’t really complain… After all, it was free!

DSCN6970When we were finished eating, we headed to Caesar’s Ballroom to pick up our free gift. They were cute little tea cup with a top and spoon with sweet adorable designs.

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We spent some time shopping at Caesar’s Outlets after that and even got to see part of the water fountain show.

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It had such a lovely time with everyone: Great costumes, good conversations, much laughter,  fun times, lasting memories…

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February 7, 2014 · 10:02 pm

Bosie Tea Parlor

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I would’ve never known about this sweet little spot (in the West Village, no less!) if my friend hadn’t suggested we have afternoon tea here. It’s super cozy and cute, but not so girly that you can’t bring one of your male friends!

We ordered Bosie Tea Service for 2 which actually was quite filling. We each got our own little pots of tea. I chose the Almond Cookie Rooibos, which definitely did not have the almond cookie nuance of flavors and pink sprinkles like the description suggested.

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Next, we were served scones, mini cakes and sandwiches on delicate three-tiered plates. We started with the scones, which came fresh and warm with a deliciously buttery, slightly sweet flavor, made even tastier with clotted cream and strawberry jam. Be sure to slather on the jam to get the full taste experience!

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There were 4 different types of cakes: Chocolate, lemon, green tea and pound cake. Each cake had a vanilla or citrus topping and all were incredibly moist, sweet and wonderful.

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As for the sandwiches, I had chosen egg salad, crab and chicken and you get two of each! The egg salad sandwich was quite lovely, with a lot of flavor. It consisted of Farmer’s Egg Salad with thyme blossoms on whole wheat. The crab sandwich was also good, but my favorite was the chicken breast with curried mayonnaise and golden raisins on multi-grain. The chicken sandwich was bursting with hearty flavor.

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Last, were the French macarons. We were allotted 2 each. I chose Vanilla Cheesecake and Peanut Butter & Jelly. The Vanilla Cheesecake had a creamy cheesecake filling with a vanilla cookie in the center. It was pretty good, but I would’ve enjoyed more distinct flavors of vanilla and cheesecake. The Peanut Butter & Jelly macaron  was truly delicious, and had a bit of jelly in the center. I really loved the smooth, strong taste of peanut butter, coupled with the sweet cookie and jelly.

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I had a lovely time with great company and really enjoyed the delectable treats at this wonderful spot.

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Bosie’s Tea Parlor
10 Morton Street
New York, NY

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January 29, 2014 · 11:14 pm

Greenwich Village Food Tour

I recently had the pleasure of doing a Greenwich Village Food Tour with Free Tours By Foot. We made 6 stops and learned some history along the way, which was a nice bonus. Below are the places we tried:

Our first food stop was Mamoun’s Falafel, a favorite among NYU students and for good reason: It is delicious and cheap.

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I sampled one of the falafel balls with tahini sauce, which was incredibly flavorful and warm.

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Next, we sampled ¼ of an Artichoke Pizza slice for $1, which was definitely enough! It was a slice of creamy, cheesy goodness, though I would have appreciated more artichoke pieces.

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Bantum Bagels was actually one of the places I didn’t know about. They sell bite sized bagels with cream cheese filling inside. I was tempted to buy one of each flavor, but realized that would be way too much so settled for two bagel bites: One sweet and one savory. Bleecker Street was a delicious mouthwatering little ball of cheddar cheese with a pepperoni on the outside and marinara mozzarella  cream sauce on the inside. The French Toast flavor is made out of a cinnamon nutmeg egg bagel and filled with buttery maple syrupy cream cheese. It was delightful, tasting of sweet toast, cinnamon and sugar.

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At Faicco’s we tried the risotto rice balls, which were mediocre. I wasn’t too impressed; it wasn’t flavorful and cheesy enough for me.

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Bleecker Street Pizza is a well known thin crust pizza establishment. We tried the basil cheese kind and enjoyed the fresh flavors.

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The last place we visited was Sugar & Plumm. Unfortunately, their ice cream parlor shop in the back was closed, so I couldn’t get a milkshake. I was quite happy with the hot chocolate actually- It was sweet and very rich with chocolate flavor. It was made even better by the addition of a huge sweet, thick and fluffy marshmallow. I also tried their salted caramel French macaron which was a bit too sweet for me. I would skip the macaron if you go; there are far better places.

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Overall, a very fun, delicious and informative tour… Also, it was very affordable- I ended up spending under $15 at all 6 establishments!

In order to go on this tour (as well as many others), please visit Free Tours By Foot, a walking tour company that gives free walking, food, bike, bus & shopping tours. They are also available in other cities such as London, Berlin, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington DC and many more.

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January 17, 2014 · 12:22 am

Otto Enoteca Pizzeria

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I recently received a gift card to Otto Enoteca Pizzeria (thank you, Chris!), one of my favorite Italian restaurants in the city. “Otto Enoteca Pizzeria is modeled after an Italian train station and located on 8th Street, in the historic One Fifth Avenue building,” … at the edge of Washington Square Park in the heart of Greenwich Village. Upon being seated, we were given a large, thick piece of bread wrapped in white paper and a packet of long bread sticks. The bread was decent, but would have been nice to have butter or olive oil and vinegar.

It was tough choosing between Spaghetti Alla Carbonara and one of the pasta specials, which contained radicchio, pancetta and gorgonzola. My friend and I ended up sharing, so I was able to have the best of both worlds.

The pasta special was pretty good. The radicchio (leafy purple-ish vegetable with a slightly bitter taste) was a bit wilted but I liked the pancetta. The gorgonzola was overpowering though. Overall, this dish was a bit too rich for me.

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I liked the Spaghetti Alla Carbonara better, which had pancetta, scallions, black pepper, and egg. The pasta was cooked al dente, there was just enough black pepper (and salt), the pancetta added a lot of delicious flavor, but I couldn’t really discern the taste of egg and the consistency was a little gummy.

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Then, of course I had to get dessert! I’ve had the Olive Oil Coppetta before and it is incredibly delicious, but wanted to try something different so went for the Parfait Carotina, which is described as “carrot & cashew cake, cardamom orange caramel, ricotta crema, cashew brittle, carrot orange marmelatta, cardamom orange gelato.” It was completely different from what I was expecting… There were grated carrots on top of the cake and the gelato didn’t have a strong flavor of either cardamom or orange, though I did like the cashew brittle. The flavors were ultimately not pleasant enough for me enjoy, so I switched my order to the Black & White, which did not disappoint.

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The Black & White was truly delectable. It was a beautiful concoction of milk chocolate chip gelato + chocolate sauce (the Black), crème fraiche gelato (the White), and hazelnut croccante, topped with caramel crema and a crispy waffle wedge. While the caramel crema had a delightful light flavor of caramel, it was too much to eat just by itself. However, when combined with the rest of the dessert, it added an extra layer of deliciousness. The crème fraiche was light, fresh, divine and the milk chocolate (with actual bits of pure chocolate) was rich, creamy, wonderful, while the sugary crispy hazelnut brittle added a satisfying sweet crunch.

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It is a testament to the quality of this restaurant that I’ve come back to dine here several times. Also, the service is quite good and the prices are affordable.

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Otto Enoteca Pizzeria
1 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY

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January 3, 2014 · 1:16 am

New Year’s Eve

2014

Flying from CA –> NYC on the Red Eye with a stopover in Atlanta, arriving back on the East Coast afternoon of New Year’s Eve and realizing that my luggage was not at JFK. Apparently it was still in Atlanta! Thankfully, it wasn’t a big issue because I had all my necessary items (including my NYE dress) in my carry on. After ensuring that I would get my delayed luggage delivered to my apartment, I headed home for some much needed rest before going out for New Year’s Eve celebrations.

So, what did I wear? Hot pink & silver glitter, an Enfocus Studio dress with filmy light pink V-neck top with black skirt bottom & sparkly black sequined middle, paired with black high heel boots that have silver sparkles.

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On the way to the venue, I ran into a friend who was going to the same party, which was great timing (also because he didn’t see me fall on the little pothole in the concrete). The venue was beautiful- Wood floors, high ceilings, glittering golden drapes, strung up blue twinkling lights, a stage with large projector and a gorgeous view of the beautiful New York City skyline, with the Empire State Building resplendent in flashing colors, front & center.

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As soon as we walked in, there were waiters with appetizers on trays. My favorite was the chicken filo cups- The chicken was shredded and had a hearty flavor, while the filo cups were flaky and wonderfully crispy at the same time. There was also smoked salmon stuffed cornbread. The cornbread was perfectly soft and buttery, with a slight flavor of salmon. I liked that the flavor of the salmon was not overpowering. Last, there were tomato basil mozzarella cheese balls. It was light, juicy and tasty. Then there were long tables beautifully arranged for a sit down dinner, with gold glitter down the middle and candles.

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For dinner, we had the choice of tomato basil soup or salad. I had the soup, which was not warm and tasted mediocre in my opinion. The entree more than made up for it though. It was stuffed pork tenderloin with a side of wild rice and asparagus with sliced almonds and Parmesan cheese. I really enjoyed the stuffed pork- It was wrapped with bacon, and so deliciously tender and full of great flavor. The wild rice was also quite good, with the right consistency and flavor.  The asparagus were cooked well and the almonds and parmesan combined together was a yummy touch.

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Then, we had some live entertainment and got to see some amazing singers and dancers perform. I enjoyed the heartfelt performances and the last song sung was “Twist & Shout” to get us all up and dancing. It worked. We danced for the next few hours with a live feed of the Times Square celebrations in the background.

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We took a break from dancing to raid the dessert/candy buffet, which had various pastries, yellow cake with cream and fruit, cookies, chocolates, marshmallows, chocolate + yogurt covered pretzels, white covered peanuts, golden gumballs and more!

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Before we knew it, it was the countdown to midnight! Champagne toast, shouting, hugs, kisses and love. I had such a wonderful time ringing in the new year dancing up a storm in the company of some great friends! And I even got a ride home. How I ask for a better New Year’s Eve?

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