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Rockin' Out with Great Pizza at Roberta's

Presidents' Day Weekend was just days away, and a last minute scramble to find awesome deals to somewhere fantastic on kayak.com was underway. $629 round-trip tickets to Stockholm?? I want to go to there, sign me up please! But then we came across an article in NY Magazine about how the Swedes have embraced all things Brooklyn. Slap something with "Brooklyn" on the label, apparently, and the Swedes are all over it. We decided it probably made no sense to fly all the way to a city trying to model itself after Brooklyn when we can just take the L train a few stops over for a lot less.

Seeing how the TV show Girls is all the rage, we decided to make a daytrip out to Bushwick, a neighborhood featured by the show, and have lunch at the much venerated Roberta's. Williamsburg is my frame of reference for Brooklyn, so I was surprised to see how less developed Bushwick was. It reminded me of Long Island City and probably Williamsburg before it was trendy--lots of bleak, industrial looking buildings everywhere, livened up a bit with a lot of graffiti street art. The entrance to Roberta's is in one of these nonassuming warehouse type buildings. Even at the random hour of 3 pm, a wait for a party of two was 45 minutes to an hour. The wait isn't too bad, since you can move towards the bar in the back and order house cocktails, beer and wine, as well as food off the main menu, which the staff will gladly move for you once your table is ready.

There's a nice, lively yet laid-back vibe that permeates the scene at Roberta's. Guests are seated at wooden communal tables reminiscent of a beer garden with Daft Punk playing in the background. I was thrilled that Roberta's offered my favorite beer, a Japanese brand called Hitochino:

We had to order a signature pizza, of course, and opted for the Famous Original, as well as ordering the Brussels Sprouts and the Sweet Potato Duck Hash special. The Brussels Sprouts come out first, and I really liked how light and refreshing the dish was. Brussels sprouts tend to be roasted in olive oil with bacon or pancetta, which is a delicious preparation but perhaps not the healthiest. Roberta's shreds the brussels sprouts in a manner like coleslaw and dresses it in a light sauce. A boiled egg, slightly charred pieces of brussels sprout leaves and delicious unctuous chunks of guanciale give the light salad some hints of heart personality. There was a bit of a lag with the pizza, but it was well worth the wait. The crust was perfect, crispy on the outside yet warm, soft and chewy on the inside. The airy dough bubbles gave the crust a lightness that was not dense or overbearing. I found it interesting that the Famous Original came already seasoned with some chili flakes. I supposed people always ask for chili flakes or hot sauce to season their pizza, so why not just save them the trouble by doing some of the legwork for them. The fresh mozzarella was mild and slightly stringy, and the tomato sauce was almost neutral in taste. It's clear that the crust and the chili flakes were the main drivers of flavor for the Famous Original pizza. The Sweet Potato Duck Hash consisted of pan-fried, fatty duck pieces and sweet potato topped with a fried piece of egg. The sweet potato was a little too pureed, and the duck was a bit too crispy and hash-brown like. I would have preferred a preparation more traditional in nature, but Roberta's is all about breaking tradition, so perhaps that was unrealistic. If you're going to break tradition, then it should still be memorable and outstanding in its own way. The Brussels Sprouts and pizza certainly achieved that, but the sweet potato hash could have been better.

Roberta's is the perfect place for a group of friends to grab some beers and eat some elevated home-style, comfort foods. Now we know why all the cool kids like Hannah and Jemima make their rounds here.

Once in a Blue Moon Dinner at Blue Hill Stone Barns

It's hard to have a bad meal in the city, considering we have so many great options to choose from. Most of the meals I would rate as being very good, differentiated more by style of cuisine and the scene as opposed to the quality and taste. When I went to Blue Hill Stone Barns for my 1st year anniversary dinner, I was struck by how good everything was, and the memories of the fresh salmon and crisp green sugar snap peas and the delectable crust of the fresh, warm bread are still very vivid in my mind. I can honestly say it was one of the best meals I have had ever and would wholeheartedly recommend that others make the short trip out to Pocantico Hills, NY for this rustic culinary retreat. 

Blue Hill is located on a former dairy barn on the Rockefeller estate. Guests can make their way across the grounds to a gift shop and small garden before entering the restaurant. If you have a lot of time to spare, and if you can stomach it, you can tour the nearby farm and meet the healthy, happy pigs and other livestock who will probably make their way onto your plate relatively soon. The main dining area of Blue Hill is very modern yet comfortable. The warm earth tones and clean, crisp white linens evoke the interior of a high-end Hamptons country home. As soon as you are seated, the professional and courteous wait staff will provide you with the drinks menu. 

There really is no permanent menu at Blue Hill. Instead, the seasonal produce serves as an inspiration for the day's offering. You have an option of choosing from a 5-, 8- or 12-course Farmer's Feast tasting menu. And don't take the number of courses literally. There are so many in-between courses that add up to a long and satisfying dining experience. In terms of seasoning, The style of cuisine isn't anything complicated or fancy. It's simply fresh produce and protein prepared in an elevated form. Does seasonal food sourced from local farms make such a huge difference in how things taste? I think it does, since there really are no bells and whistles to the preparation. 

Here are some pictures of our meal. I think each photo speaks for itself--what you see it what you get, except even better than what you expected.

Pleasingly Plump at the Fat Radish

Where do girls with an Alexander Wang aesthetic who have Grimes on repeat go for brunch? You can find them at Fat Radish, an exquisitely hipster farm-to-table neighborhood spot that momentarily transports you to a table next to Keira Knightly in charming Marylebone, London.

There are specials written in fat white letters up on a mirror along the wall. We decided to try the salmon crostini, which came on a gray slate topped with 4 pieces of smoked salmon on light, creamy marscapone cheese placed on half slices of 7-grain toast, accompanied with capers and chives. Certainly a delicious and refined rendition of smoked salmon on lox.

Since we felt like we were in merry old England, how could we not order the Full English Breakfast, a hearty platter of eggs, baked beans, bacon and sausage. How quintessentially English! For a lighter option, we also ordered the Avocado and 7-Grain Toast with Spicy Eggs. Creamy avocado on top of toast, perfect for sopping up poached eggs lightly drizzled in a spicy sauce.

A trip to the UK will cost you a pretty penny, but spending some quality time with friends over French pressed coffee and eggs at Fat Radish is a far more affordable option. Enjoy the country chic surroundings and the attractive scene while feeling pleasantly full at the Fat Radish.