Tapas Heaven at Tia Pol

I feel like there aren't that many restaurants in New York City that serve authentic Spanish tapas, or maybe the ones that do exist don't get much press or aren't that spectacular. Whenever I talk to friends about where they went to eat, tapas is usually never on the agenda. I'm not sure why that is, but I do know that for me personally, the thought of making a dinner out of small plates of chorizos, omelettes and cured ham isn't all that appealing. But the delicious, authentic tapas I tried at Tia Pol (in the heart of Chelsea of all places!) changed my mind on this Spanish tradition completely.

Tia Pol's headquarters is, like a lot of specialized NY restaurants, very small and cozy. The lighting is dim but not in a sleepy, romantic way, more in a lively, lounge-like way, which I liked. So you can come with a date or friends, but keep the party small, because seating is tight. Once when I came here at 6:30 (the restaurant opened at 6) we had to wait an hour for a table, and that was just for a party of two. This time we decided to just take a seat at the bar, which honestly was like seating at a table since everyone was in such close quarters anyways. I would say the crowd here is 30+...people were dressed dressy casual, low key but still presentable. I'm not sure why there wasn't a more diverse group of diners, the prices are reasonable, you don't need to beg for a table and the atmosphere is nice...who knows.

Since we were ordering small plates, we chose five plates to share. From the regular menu, we ordered the patatas bravas (home fries covered in a spicy mayo sauce), txipirones en su tinta (squid in an ink sauce) and esparragos navarros con caviar mujol (white asparagus in a mayo and caviar sauce). From that day's specials, we tried the pinxto de berenjena, which was an eggplant salad topped with marcona almonds and coriander served on grilled bread, and the trucha a la navarra, a whole brook trout served with serrano ham in a crispy garlic vinaigrette seasoning. The picture's a little dark, which is a shame, because the presentation is wonderful.


I wasn't too crazy about the white asparagus, I don't think vegetables should ever taste like they're heavy and bad for you, and with that mayo sauce, I felt like I was just downing chunks of cold fatty stalks. But the presentation was beautiful, the white asparagus was laid out elegantly, and the black caviar was a great contrast, almost like piano keys, very modern and artsy in my book. The squid was ok, I've had better squid elsewhere, like at the Modern and Bouley's Upstairs, for instance, but my boyfriend loved it.

Now let me get to the things you have to try. The spicy home fries were AMAZING. The potatoes were perfectly fried, just crispy and hot all around, and the spicy sauce kicked up the flavor of an otherwise drab, dependable staple. The trout was also fabulous, the fish was presented on a platter, split down its middle so that its fillets were spread like butterfly wings, what an amazing way to plate the food! I don't think the ham on the fish was necessary, so I mostly ate the fish on its own, and the fleshy white meat and oil were perfect together. I was also blown away by the eggplant dish; it was really simple in terms of preparation, but the blend of seasonings was just perfect.

I was really impressed by how Tia Pol elevated familiar food and ingredients to something extremely tasty yet interesting and memorable at the same time. I almost don't want to tell people about Tia Pol because now it'll be even harder to get a seat, but they did open up a sister restaurant nearby called El Quinto Pino on 24th and 9th, so now more people can get their fill of this fabulous tapas meal!

(Picture courtesy of foodcandy.com)

Tia Pol
205 10th Ave.
212-675-8805
(22nd and 23rd)
Rating (out of 5 stars):***

Style: Spanish Tapas
Prices: $5-$18
Summary: The only place in town for memorable Spanish tapas at reasonable prices in a small but lively, lounge-y atmosphere.

Viva Mexicana La Palapa!

I am absolutely obsessed with guacamole. I don't know how this obsession started over the course of my life, because I used to not even notice guac on the menu when I was growing up and thought avocados were gross, but suddenly in my 20s I've craved it all the time and just can't get enough!

A friend told me that La Palapa served THE BEST guacamole in the city that he's ever tried, so of course, I made my way there for dinner one day. It was about a 15 minute wait for a table, so we decided to hang out at the bar and order a pitcher of sangria to kill some time. Ok, the sangria here is not that great, the color of the drink is this weird shade of Barney purple and it almost tasted like the fruits in the drink were washed in an old smelly washcloth, definitely don't recommend this at all. I only hoped that this wasn't some bad indication of what was to come for the rest of the meal.

I really liked the interior of the restaurant. La palapa means an open-sided, thatched roof dwelling in Spanish, supposedly, and the space was created in this fashion, except without the thatched roof. There were Mexican decorations everywhere, with cats and Incan/Aztec-inspired objects placed in counters and walls. And there are lots of tables and another room out in the back, it's not one of those cramped East Village establishments with 10 tables uncomfortably close to one another. I would say the crowd here is around 30 years and up. There weren't that many people on dates, it was mostly big groups seated around us dressed casually. I remember reading in the Times about how some guy proposed to his girlfriend here, but I don't see why, as the only romantic aspect of this restaurant is the dim lighting, it's really more of a pre-going out dinner place.


Of course, we ordered the guacamole y totopos (totopos means a flat, round corn product, and, sure enough, the waiter brought over soft corn tortillas on the side), and for entrees we tried camarones a la diabla (a spicy shrimp dish served with rice and refried beans) and the arrachera al tequila con jalapenos torreados (a skirt steak dish also servied with rice and beans).

Ok ok, so what about the guac? And the answer is--Dos Caminos guac is better. The guac at La Palapa is still good, but I tasted too much cilantro in it or something, and it's not as smooth as the one at Dos Caminos, a little bit chunky for my taste. However, it did come with three different types of complementary salsa...I forget how each one was made, but one was a darker salsa that tasted like it was made from mole or black beans, the second was I think a mild tomatillo-chile, and the third was a very spicy green salsa dip. I put some guac on a chip and dipped it into the third spicy salsa, and that definitely put my mouth on fire, but in a good way!


The entrees were EXCELLENT, I wasn't expecting much because all I know about the restaurant is the quality of its guac, but my spicy shrimp dish was fantastic, and the skirt steak was so tender, juicy and delicious! The shrimp looked so appetizing, plump and pink and marinated in this rich brown chile sauce, served alongside fluffy rice and cheese-sprinkled beans. Going into it, my mouth was watering, and after I was done, I still wanted more! So glad I didn't go for a traditional taco plate or something along those lines, because I almost went for the fish tacos.


We didn't try dessert, although the offerings of dreamy tres leches cake and crepes sounded amazing, but I was so stuffed from the guac and shrimp, I couldn't fit anything more in my stomach. I'm still so happy from the shrimp I ordered, the entrees here surprised me and exceeded my expectations. The guac and sangria, not so much. Viva La Palapa for its fabulous Mexican dinner dishes!

(Pictures courtesy of NY Magazine and lapalapa.com).

La Palapa
77 St. Mark's Pl., New York, NY 10003
212-777-2537
(St. Mark's Pl. and 1st/2nd Ave.)
Rating (out of 5 stars):***

Style: Mexican
Prices: Appetizers $8-$11, Entrees $15-$20
Summary: When you're sick and tired of Dos Caminos and Rosa Mexicana, but you and a group of friends are still looking to dig into some tasty, authentic-style, moderately priced Mexican dishes in the East Village, come to La Palapa as a better alternative (except for the guac).

Rah Rah Rai Rai Ken!

So on Friday, the summery weather in NY totally bypassed the crisp cool temperatures of fall and dove headfirst into brisk chilly winter cold. Of course, what better way to beat the cold than to feast on some warm, hearty ramen noodles??

The ramen noodles at Rai Rai Ken in the East Village came highly recommended by friends and coworkers, so I decided to give them a go on this cold night. Much to my chagrin, a line had formed outside the restaurant, but luckily I only had to wait around shivering for 15 minutes. And, once inside, I could see why the turnaround was so quick. The venue, a small and cozy space in which diners were seated on stools around a bar/counter-top table, lent itself to fast food dining rather than a drawn-out meal.

I ordered the pork gyoza dumplings and the house special shio ramen for dinner. The house special ramen, made from a light seafood-based broth, with spinach, bamboo shoots, pork, boiled egg and scallions thrown into the mix, definitely was hearty and filling. But hmm...I've tried the ramen at Momofuku Noodle Bar and Setagaya, both served in a similar way to Rai Rai Ken's, and I have to say I liked the ramen at these two places better. Maybe I should've gone for the soy-sauce based shoyu ramen or the miso-based ramen instead? I thought the seafood broth wasn't that flavorful, and it didn't really complement the fatty juicy goodness of the pork pieces, which, mind you, only consisted of one medium slice!! I like it when my ramen comes with huge pork belly chunks like Momofuku and Setagaya, that one slice was pretty weak. I mean, it wasn't bad ramen and it was above average, but nothing mind blowing.


And the gyoza? It was definitely perfectly cooked to a golden brown crisp, but I couldn't really taste the pork in there. I felt like I was eating a vegetable gyoza--the pork was seriously lacking at this place in all areas!! I feel like that old lady in the Wendy's commercial--where's the beef, Rai Rai Ken??

By skimping on the meat, maybe that's how Rai Rai Ken can afford to price the dishes at a phenomenal value. I mean, dinner for two was $21, usually that's how much it is for one person!! That is a total bargain in NYC, you definitely can't beat that! Which also explains why there were a lot of NYU-looking students and scruffy hipsterish people in line. I noticed that not many Japanese people were eating here, and that always worries me when the native people aren't eating at the ethnic joint. Setagaya is just as cheap and tastes even better, so there's almost no point in coming back here. I guess if the line at Setagaya or Momofuku is too long, then this is a good backup option. It gets the job done in terms of filling you up with something above average in taste, but nothing beyond that.

Rai Rai Ken
214 E. 10th St., New York, NY 10003
212-477-7030
(10th and 2nd Ave.)

Rating (out of 5 stars):**1/2
Style: Japanese
Prices: $2-$8 (What a steal!! But CASH ONLY)
Summary: When you're craving ramen on a cold day, but don't want to spend Momofuku prices and the line at Setagaya is too long.

Work Fuel: Japanese Hi-Chews

They say that snacking in between meals is a bad thing, that all the calories add up and show up on your waistline, but sometimes you just can't help it. Especially when you spend most of your days at work and your coworkers always bring in tempting treats that you just can't resist, and when you can't figure out why a stupid function in Excel isn't working, you can concentrate better by munching on some mind fuel.

I'd like to devote this post to a favorite new work-time candy of mine called Hi-chew, which is a chewy fruity snack sold by a Japanese firm called Morinaga & Co. It reminds me of a Starburst in terms of the taffy-like consistency and fruity flavors, but it tastes so much better. You know how sometimes when you stuff yourself with candy you feel really sick afterwards? Hi-chews don't leave you with that bad taste in your mouth. I don't know what it is, maybe the sugar or ingredients Morinaga uses is better quality or something, but it tastes more wholesome and substantial than a Starburst or Tootsie Roll (relatively speaking!).

Morinaga produces Hi-chews in all sorts of flavors, including Banana, Plum, Grape, Lemon, Muscat, Strawberry and Apple. I haven't tried them all, but I LOVE Grape and Green Apple. Plum was kinda disgusting, it almost felt like I was chewing on a flower candy, and I don't know about you, but flowers were made for decorating, not eating!

So where can you get these snacks? Any Asian grocery store in the city will carry them, as do those random delis like Cafe Duke or Pranzo. Even the convenience store at my work carries them, that's how in demand they are! But if you can't seem to find them, you can buy them at http://www.asianfoodgrocer.com/.

Also, this is just me sidetracking, but I remember back in high school my favorite snack ever was a candy sold by the French Club called Eiffel Bon Bons. It came in Raspberry, Strawberry, Apple, Cherry and Watermelon. The only downside I ever saw to graduating high school was never being able to buy Bon Bons ever again, because they don't sell these things in the stores!! Like, only the French Clubs in Orange County carried them, it was so weird! But I was surfing the web, and guess what?? You can buy them in bulk at http://www.foreign-candy.com/! In fact, I'm sure that's where all the French Clubs bought them from, I just didn't catch on to it until, I don't know, 6 years later...kinda sad but some people are slow. Sigh...the memories of those fruit taffy nuggets!

Kunjip - Korean Comfort Food

You would think that Ktown, that stretch of Manhattan between 32nd/33rd Sts. and 5th Ave., would host amazing, delicious Korean food at every corner. But sadly, this isn't the case. Most of the food is overpriced and average at best, especially Gumgangsan, you know, "that restaurant with the piano" near the Holiday Inn. But Kunjip is one restaurant that stands out in this sea of mediocrity. Kunjip, literally translated as "Big House" in English, may not be big in size, but in terms of quality and taste it towers above the rest!

Unfortunately, it seems to be a favorite of everyone else in the city. There is ALWAYS a line outside the door, although it does move fast. If you come in a small party of two or three, it should be about a 15-20 minute wait before you get seated at peak times. And it is open 24 hours, so I guess going at some odd hour after a night at a noraebang (karaoke bar) will land you a table faster. But most of the fast turnaround is due to the extremely brusque service at Kunjip. You don't come here to get pampered and linger for awhile; you get your Korean food fix and then get the hell out. Waiters are not friendly, their only purpose is to bring and take away your food as quickly as possible, not to fetch your water with a smile. Don't take it personally--I've found that service in Korean restaurants tends to suck everywhere. Go to a more chi-chi, Americanized place like Woo Lae Oak if you want to feel "special", otherwise, tough it out here, you'll be glad you did!

Every dish I've had here is just solid and sooo satisfying. When we went on Sunday, we ordered the jap che appetizer, which is basically a fabulous vermicelli-noodle looking dish stir fried with delicious beef and vegetables. Make sure to order the small size, because you'll also be served an array of other side dishes called banchan, a normal phenomenon at Korean restaurants. Banchan can consist of small plates of kimchi (pickled cabbage), seasoned bean sprouts, poached eggs (my fav!!), fish cakes, seaweed and much much more!


We also had the soon doo boo chigae, which is a very hearty and spicy tofu stew that just hits the spot, especially on a cold day. Dipping a spoonful of rice into the broth and scooping up all the aromas and flavors of the surrounding chunks of seafood, tofu and soup is just the most satisfying and amazing experience ever!


And, of course, the Korean bbq!! Korean bbq is red meat marinated in the most delicious sauce, almost like teriyaki but BETTER. I've seen my mother make it, and she creates this amazing concoction of soy sauce, sesame oil, grated Asian pear and sugar--it's slightly sweet and light, not overpowering the natural delicious juices of the meat itself at all like how some overly tangy or heavy American-style bbq sauces can do. I usually order the bulgoki, which consists of thinly sliced bbq beef sirloin pieces, but this time we opted for the yetnalshik bulgoki, which uses the same beef but simmers it in a light broth and noodles--fantastic!! Of course, I've also tried the gal bi gui, another variation of the bbq that uses short ribs, and that is fabulous as well, but the most expensive on the menu. Basically, you can't go wrong with a bbq dish here!

The meal tends to be very hearty and heavy, so Kunjip finishes off the meal with a refreshing ginger drink to balance things out. Afterwards, you'll feel so happy and full, and you'll wish that you actually lived at this place they call the "Big House". Except it's their house, not yours, and you're one guest of hundreds so they'll kick you out. But all the better, because you'll just want to run back for more--you'll be a guest at Kunjip for life!


Kunjip
9W 32nd St., New York, NY 10001
212-216-9487
(32nd and 5th Ave.)

Rating (out of 5 stars):****
Style: Korean
Prices: $7-$40
Summary: When you're craving homestyle Korean in a casual setting, this is the place to go!

Babbo with a side of Val Kilmer

For my birthday last year my sister took me to Babbo, and, maybe because we both had really unreasonably high expectations for the place, we were underwhelmed by the food. But I also thought maybe by ordering a la carte we chose the wrong dishes so I shouldn't be too hasty in writing off the restaurant and a second visit was necessary to form a more informed opinion.

So I made a reservation for a Saturday dinner, which, no joke, was the most painful experience ever. Since Mario Batali is crazy famous, getting a table here is ridiculously hard, so if you're a normal person with no connections, you have to call exactly a month in advance of your reservation date, right at 10:30 a.m. when the reservation line opens, in order to secure a spot. Of course, I called at 10:30, and, what do you know, the lines were busy...I literally called 5 times each subsequent hour, and it was STILL BUSY, UGH. And then finally, at around 10:30 p.m. at NIGHT, a real person answers the phone and tells me that either 5:00 p.m. or 11:00 p.m. was available. Prime dining times, I know, but beggars can't be choosers! So I took the 11:00 p.m. time slot.

When we got to Babbo, it was still bustling and busy, even at 11:00 p.m. The atmosphere was a bit frenetic because, first of all, Lenny Kravitz was playing in the background, and all these servers were running around in a small space, nearly bumping into patrons at each turn of a corner. I have to admit that they were very expert at not tripping, falling or dropping things in this lively environment. I would say the crowd that night was a little older, and almost every woman there was wearing a dress. (I was in shorts and ballet flats, since we raced down here from the Arcade Fire/LCD Soundsystem concert in Staten Island). Some people were on dates, others were just in groups, and some people looked like out of towners who were in the city for a nice dinner at the renowned restaurant. Obviously Babbo has the luxury of being a dining destination for any occasion!

We were seated upstairs, and what do you know, we were seated at a table right next to Val Kilmer!! You know, the guy from "Batman Forever" and other well-known classics such as "At First Sight" and "The Island of Dr. Moreau". It made me feel better knowing that even celebrities like Val Kilmer couldn't get a prime table at Babbo, but, then again, Val Kilmer was sort of out of shape and it's not like his career's really hot right now, so maybe he's not the best example to use. But still, it was a pretty awesome sighting nonetheless. I liked the upstairs seating area, the glass ceiling and lights provided a nice nighttime view and the interior felt like a comfortable summer home.

So what about the food? We decided to order the $75 traditional tasting menu, so that way we could try a little bit of everything and not miss the highlights. We started out with a chickpea bruschetta in an olive sauce, which was a starter for everyone, not just for the tasting menu patrons; it was a nice light and lively way to start off the meal.

The first course was the Babbo Culatello with Ramps and Pecorino. I have to tell you, I have never ever heard of culatello, ramps or pecorino until I came to Babbo, and I still don't really know what they are. Basically, it looked like 3-4 very thinly sliced pieces of cured ham, with a mound of pickled, leafy green vegetables on top. It was ok--I liked how it was light, but it's not something I'd order again. The following picture is similar to what we had that night, but without the figs:

The second course was the Pappardelle with Porcini and Thyme, which was really delicious. It's basically a pasta dish that consists of really wide, long rectangular noodles (think extra-large fettucini), probably cooked in olive oil, topped with some fabulous porcini mushrooms and parmesan cheese. It was a very simple dish, but the poricini wrapped up in this long pasta pieces was just magic. This was my favorite part of the meal by far--I wanted some more after I was done! The following picture is also very similar to what we had, but the mushrooms were darker and were less all over the place than the white truffles that are being shown:


The third course was the Duck Tortelli with "Sugo Finto". I was really looking forward to this dish, because they described it as duck confit pasta topped in a fabulous tomato-based sauce; I was expecting like little juicy nuggets of succulent duck in ravioli or something. But they chopped up the meat really finely and it almost felt like I was eating ravioli with ground beef inside, so I was let down a little by how it turned out.

The fourth course was the Venison Loin with Acorn Squash Caponata with Mint Pesto. I think interesting red meats like lamb or venison always go well with a mint-based sauce, so it was very tasty, the heavier and gamier taste of the meat nicely off-set by minty lightness...also really liked the texture pairing with the acorn squash and lentil-type vegetables. But it's not like I was dying to order this again. It looked really pretty though!


The fifth course was the Coach Farm's Finest with Fennel Honey, which consisted of a triangular slice of goat cheese surrounded by honey and fennel seeds and accompanying sliced bread. Initially a server bungled the order and just gave us the cheese, which was just really rich and salty, and I thought it was nothing special...but then another server rushed over and apologized, saying the other server was new and forgot to drizzle the honey around the cheese. Now that made more sense, why would they just slap on a slice of cheese for a tasting menu dish?? I have to say, the cheese on its own was too rich and too much, but with the sweetness of the honey and crunch of the fennel, it was fantastic!

Next came THREE courses of dessert--we had the "Delizia di Susina" plum cake, the chocolate "tartufino" and the Venetian Apple Cake Olive Oil Gelato. I LOVED the Delizia di Susina, plum cake is so delicious, it almost tastes like apple pie but in cake form and much better. (If you go to Craft, they have a fabulous plum cake as well.) The chocolate tartufino was also really excellent, it tasted like a huge, delicious hazlenut truffle, and the apple cake (tasted almost like a dreamy apple donut) and olive oil gelato (tastes like lemon, not olive oil!) was also a very good pairing. So I have to say, the desserts were AWESOME, but the Delizia di Susina plum cake totally blew me away.

All in all, I would have to say I LOVED the Pappardelle with Porcini and Thyme and the Delizia di Susina, liked the other desserts, the goat cheese and venison, and the rest I was lukewarm about. Hmm, but I'm not sure if this sort of uneven outcome was worth all the hassle of getting the reservation and bumping into a few celebrities here and there. I really didn't like feeling like I had to work so hard to be deemed worthy to dine at Babbo, so I think my next visit won't happen for a really long time. I did the whole celebrity chef Mario Batali thing, got it out of the way, and that's that.

(Pictures of Babbo courtesy of www.babbony.com).

Babbo
110 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10011
212-777-0303 (good luck trying to get through!!)
(Waverly Pl and MacDougal)

Rating (out of 5 stars):***
Style: Italian
Prices: $75 for traditional tasting menu, $11-$23 for first and second courses, $24-$70 for entrees
Summary: To show off that you went to an exclusive NYC restaurant, Babbo will impress--the celebrity sightings, the expertly prepared exotic Italian food and ingredients and the difficulty of getting a coveted table all come with the package. But frankly, it's a little overrated.

Digging the Grub at DuMont

I feel like a lot of people living in Manhattan (typically recent college grads who didn't grow up here) sort of have this provincial mindset that trekking out to the other boroughs is too time-consuming and not worth the trouble. And, yes, I know, I am totally guilty of that as well, and I think even commuting from midtown west to the upper east side is this huge ordeal.

But really, Brooklyn and Queens aren't all that far. If you just take the L train from Union Square, in about four stops you'll find yourself at Lorimer St., which drops you off right in front of a Williamsburg restaurant called DuMont. DuMont is this awesome restaurant with a great, chill vibe that serves simple and scrumptious American classics like burgers and mac 'n cheese. The interior of the restaurant is very unassuming and no-frills, so this place is perfect for those times when you just want to relax and grab a bite to eat somewhere without dressing up and all that other fuss.

When the weather's nice, which it was when I went, you can eat in the lovely garden area out back. It almost feels like you're at a lodge in the Catskills somewhere; it sort of reminded me of Freeman's in the LES, except not as expensive.

The crowd is made up of a lot of Williamsburg hipsters, so if you're not into the whole alternative, American Apparel-wearing crowd, then you'll feel out of place here. I personally like venturing into Williamsburg; it's refreshing not to be surrounded by very slick, polished people wearing Theory and Ferragamo.

Popular dishes to order include the DuMont burger and the Dumac & Cheese...but I had already eaten this 1,000 calorie Fat Burger and fries in Jersey this past week, so I totally wanted the burger but knew it was a bad idea and declined. I opted for the skate instead, which I thought was just a normal fish but later learned that it was like a stingray looking thing!, and ordered the crab cake as an appetizer. My boyfriend ordered the skirt steak and the potato leek soup. The two hipster girls next to us shared a burger and fries and it looked sooo delicious; so funny that they ordered something healthy like their salad to make themselves feel better about the burger.

The skate was really really delicious--who knew a stingray-like fish could be so good?? I mean, was I even eating meat or like fish cartilage?? Whatever it was, it was this thin, golden, crispy ridged filet wrapped around a fabulous mound of perfect, creamy mashed potatoes like a glorious peel. My boyfriend's skirt steak was also tender and fabulous; it was served with a side of spinach, perfectly cooked medium rare. I wasn't really a big fan of the crab cakes; there was all this avocado and cilantro that got in the way of the cake, I usually just like crab cakes in a more pure form served with cream sauce. I think my boyfriend's soup was ok but nothing as fabulous as the skate and skirt steak!

If I can manage to avoid weekend staffings and find time to trek to Brooklyn again, I would definitely pay DuMont a second visit. And why wouldn't you, when there's so much to do in the surrounding area! On that day, I went to the Artists and Fleas Indoor Market on 129 N. 6th St. (betwn Bedford and Berry) and bought gold hoop earrings that many people complimented, browsed through some vintage clothes at Amarcord (223 Bedford Ave.) and looked at cool faux bois decor at Pema (225 Bedford Ave.)

We also checked out Fujiya & Miyagi, Project Jenny, Project Jan (very funny rap/rock duo, puts Britney to shame!) and Dirty on Purpose at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, an awesome music venue with a great basement bar at 66 North St. You can have it all--food and fun without the attitude, so stop acting like Brooklyn is miles away and just get on the train already!!


(Pictures of DuMont courtesy of dumontrestaurant.com).

DuMont
432 Union Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11206
718-486-7717
(Union Ave. and Metropolitan Ave., right off the L stop at Lorimer)

Rating (out of 5 stars):***
Style: American
Prices: $7-$24
Summary: Go here for if you're in the mood for reliable yet refined American food in a low-key, chill hipster restaurant setting.

Useful links:

http://dumontrestaurant.com/

http://www.musichallofwilliamsburg.com/

Bare Fruit - Best Low Cal Snack Ever!

OMG--they've actually done it, they've actually come up with a healthy snack that's low in calories AND tastes good!! My coworker, who, like me, is a serial snacker, alerted me to the news of a brand new snack option in the vending machines. "This new dried fruit snack called Bare Fruit, the whole bag only has like 30 calories! Isn't that amazing??" she cried. "And it tastes so good! I can eat like 4 of these and still have consumed less calories than eating Sun Chips!"

It really was a joyous event, since, while snacking, I always tell myself, "Now, now, just eat a quarter of this box of cereal," and really, I end up eating a quarter, then a half, and then, what do you know, the whole box is gone! And then I feel so guilty and stupid, like, "why did I just eat the whole thing!!", and then give up altogether and go, "since I messed up today, might as well go all the way!", and the whole day becomes an out of control day of eating everything in sight.

But with the organic, bake dried Bare Fruit, I won't feel bad at all--one medium sized bag of the Cinnamon Apple chips had ~180 calories!! It would take me three of them to feel the guilt! I really really love the Cinnamon Apple Chips and the Granny Apple Chips, and to a lesser extent, the Mango and Pineapple...not a huge fan of the Cherries, Banana and Pears. I've been trying to find them at other stores in NYC, but so far have only located them in my office vending machine and, of all places, Gristedes on 89th and Lexington. I wonder if Whole Foods or Trader Joe's carries them? Must find out and stock up!! (All the people at work have discovered this low calorie treasure, it's always gone by the end of the day--grab it before your boss does!!)

(Pictures courtesy of www.pinecreekpack.com)

J'Adore Jean-Georges!

My boyfriend decided to take me to a surprise dinner for my birthday, and what do you know, the place turned out to be Jean Georges, oo-lala! I was extremely excited about dining at one of the most venerable restaurants of all of NYC, but at the same time a little intimidated, since little old me was going to eat at a respected Michelin-star establishment, and they would totally find out how I barely know the difference between Chablis and Chardonnay, or what an amuse bouche was (which they did serve!), and laugh at any other dining faux pas I was sure to commit.

We entered the restaurant and they were running a little late, so they whisked us away to the bar area. I nibbled on the complimentary bar food snacks that were on the counter, and let me tell you, I never had bar snacks quite like this! Rather than your regular nuts and pretzels, Jean Georges' snacks transcend the ordinary. I'm not exaggerating--I had these amazing wasabi peas and cinnamon almonds that I couldn't stop eating. These treats were definitely harbingers of the great meal that was to come.

Because we had some time to kill, I started scanning the room and seeing what types of people came to eat at a place like Jean Georges. You had your typical older, refined looking WASPy people, as well as the rich guy/model types, but surprisingly enough, there was a very mixed crowd of diners that day. My favorite part was seeing this pretty girl eating by herself, and she caught the eye of the group of men sitting nearby, who then proceeded to invite her over to join them and voila! She was alone no longer! So let this be a note to you--not only does Jean Georges have fabulous food, but it may just be the perfect spot to meet your future soulmate!

And then there was this couple that I noticed because they were so uniquely dressed. The guy was pale and bald, and his date was this woman wearing a strange gothic, corset-type dress. They looked like they could fit in at the Renaissance Faire or a Halloween party, a high-class one, of course. But I suppose great food is one of those universal, democratic pastimes that any person, whether glam or goth, likes to enjoy, so it shouldn't be a surprise that so many different types of people were there. And of course, that throws regular Jane schmoes like me into the mix, so it's fantastic!

At Jean Georges, you either get to order three items from a prix-fixe menu plus a dessert of your choice, or you can opt for the tasting course (no a la cartes here). I chose for my three items the sea scallops with caramelized cauliflower, the corn ravioli and the caramelized beef tenderloin, while my boyfriend also ordered the sea scallops, the butternut squash soup and the Maine lobster.

Everything was pretty fabulous--(I guess those Michelin stars were well deserved!) I absolutely loved the sea scallops and the butternut squash soup, the latter arriving in this ridiculous, lavish ceremony in which the server placed an empty bowl in front of my boyfriend and then proceeded to scoop the actual soup into the bowl from a separate silver serving bowl, how awesome is that?? The corn ravioli was great too, and the beef was extremely flavorful, although not tender enough for my taste but what do I know, it's Jean Georges!

Dessert in itself is a multi-course event. It comes in themes, and I ordered the fabulous chocolate theme which came with an amazing cake while my boyfriend had something berry based. And oh no, it doesn't stop there, they also serve you some chocolates, macaroons and gourmet marshmallows on the side! So really, you're getting like four desserts instead of one, and for someone like me with a sweet tooth that's pretty awesome!

Too bad I don't have pictures, since the visual beauty of the dishes were part of the experience of being at Jean Georges, but here are links to some sites that have some great pictures. Enjoy the spectacle and run to the actual restaurant to taste the real thing, vite! Bon appetit, mes amis!!

http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2006/03/how_i_gained_si.html
http://thewanderingeater.wordpress.com/2007/09/07/eating-lunch-like-royalty-at-jean-georges/

Jean-Georges
1 Central Park West, New York, NY 10023
212-299-3900
(Central Park West and 60th/61st Sts)

Rating (out of 5 stars):*****
Style: French
Prices: $28-$95
Summary: Go here if you're looking to splurge on a fine French dining experience you won't ever forget!

(Pictures courtesy of NY Magazine and http://www.theworlds50best.com/)