Restaurant Review: Do or Dine

For anyone who watched season 8 of Food Network Star, you will appreciate that Jeremy and I checked out winner Justin Warner's innovative spot in Bed-Stuy with 2 other couples. Yes, you read that correctly- Bed-Stuy. The place is called Do or Dine and it's really fun and different.

I am not going to lie to you, it was a bit of a journey to get there. I mean, I took the G train. So after 3 transfers, it was only a few blocks from the Bedford-Nostrand stop. This is definitely a random location, yet very fitting for its vibe. The place is pretty small, but they have an awesome outdoor back patio area that is graffitied and decorated with colorful unidentified objects.

Upon being seated outside, the staff was very attentive. Justin was in full force setting tables, filling waters, and serving food.

Before I get to the food, I must explain Justin's "POV" and reason for winning his season. He is extremely creative and "sciencey" and always used highly innovative techniques to cook his food.  So, unsurprisingly, the menu is quite reflective of that. They use quirky, clever names such as "miso-corny" and "pho-rk chop."

There were 6 of us (which, by the way, is my recommended party size not only for table space but for proper selection variety and portion size) and somehow we managed to narrow down our choices. Maybe it's easier to tell you what we DIDN'T get? Nah, not as fun. So the run down goes as follows:

Dranks: we all ordered an array of wines and cocktails, all very nice (especially the Fitzgerald that was a gin and bitters drink, on some "secret" menu)

Snacks and small plates:

E666S-6 (aka Deviled Eggs) with culantro (apparently this isn't cilantro) and bacon. As you may have guessed, these are not your ordinary deviled eggs. They came as fried pockets of joy with hard boiled egg inside, creamy yolk and a spicy sauce gushing out. I must note that these were only lightly greased,  perfectly crispy, and a table favorite.

E666S-6

POND WINGS - spicy frog legs with a Dr. Pepper glaze. Two rather large legs were served all glazed up with a sticky exterior. This was my first experience with frog legs and I liked them. The meat inside was different, but hard to explain how. You could definitely identify the Dr. Pepper ingredient which was unique and tasty. This was a hard to dish to split with a group, but we made do.

Pond Wings

FAWN-TONS - fried wontons filled with venison and Jarlsburg cheese. This was definitely the best small plate of the meal. Reminiscent of crab rangoon, these wontons were super crispy, not at all greasy, and the well-seasoned venison filling was perfectly ground and blended with the cheese.

Fawn-tons

SKIPJACK TUNA CRUDO - sliced raw tuna served with leeks, some kind of sauce and this weird unidentified gelee. This dish was underwhelming, and I know I have had much better raw tuna dishes. It was sliced too thick and texturally it just didn't feel right. No one was fighting for the last few pieces.

Skip Jack Tuna Crudo

YOU'VE GOT QUAIL - quail rillette served with "pomolasses" dollops and pita bread. Not at all what I was expecting, but a pleasant surprise. The menu did not indicate the quail would be in this form, so when a jar of essentially quail purée showed up, I was a bit confused. I spread the pomegranate stuff on the pita and then topped it with the quail, which turned out to be the way to go. My table mates soon followed suit and we all really enjoyed the flavors.

You've Got Quail

Hummus - a bright plate of fresh veggies arranged around hummus. The plate was decorated with blackened sesame seed sauce so beautifully we didn't even realize at first that it wasn't part of the plate. This was a nice way to get some veggies on the table and lighten it up a bit.

Hummus and veggies

Grilled octopus - served over some kind of creamy sauce with scallions. One of the plainer dishes, and I was wishing it was more charred. The flavors were there though.

Grilled octopus

Big plates:

A CHICKEN AND WOFFALS - jerk chicken served atop waffles with maple syrup and pineapple. Mostly legs and maybe a little breast, the jerk chicken was juicy and glazed with a maple syrup/sauce creating a delicious sweet and savory flavor. The waffle sort of just absorbed the goodness and became a vehicle for the sauce. This definitely isn't the ultimate southern chicken n waffles, but it's a unique, yummy version of the dish.

A chicken and woffals

BEEF AND BROCCOLI - sliced beef served with broccoli and a couple of tots over kimchi creme-fraiche. Tots were good (when are they not?) and the sauce was yummy, but unfortunately the beef and broccoli were pretty bland. The sauce really saved the dish, but overall this wasn't a fan favorite.

Beef and broccoli

PHO-RK CHOP - sliced pork chop with an Asian style marinade (lemongrass, peanut, basil) topped with a summer roll. The pork was delicious and these are some of my favorite flavors, so I really enjoyed this one. The summer roll had cilantro in it, which I hate, so I was done with that after one bite. Otherwise, this went fast at the table.

Pho-rk Chop

BASA-NOVA - catfish served with wild mushrooms, seaweed salad, and hush puppies. Catfish is not something you see on a menu everyday, but it's right in line with the many other white fish options. This was blackened and cooked perfectly. Everything else on the plate complimented the fish really nicely. This was my favorite main dish.

Basa-nova

For dessert we ordered 2 FOIE GRAS DOUGHNUTS. These are technically in the small plates section and we ordered them up front, but the waitress asked if we might want them for dessert. We decided that sounded like a good idea and I am so glad we made that decision. These were the perfect way to wrap the meal. A perfectly crisp doughnut arrived on each plate covered in powdered sugar and jelly spilling out. We split each one in 3 pieces and discovered the vast amount of foie gras inside. Foie has sort of a nutty taste, so the jelly in the doughnut is genius and provided the ultimate sweet and salty combo (however, the foie was extremely salty so perhaps the dish could have benefitted from more sweet). These doughnuts were SO rich that a third of it was really all you needed. I think some of the party was a bit overwhelmed, but I liked it.

Foie gras doughnut

Overall this eclectic restaurant was a super fun outing to take with friends and we got to experience some very interesting food in a neighborhood we do not frequent. I thought the service was great and the whole place just has a chill, anything goes, we are here to serve you vibe. Definitely worth the trip and I recommend checking it out!

PS: there is a wonderful bar (cash only) a few doors down that is worth checking out before or after - Dynaco. If you can find your way through with the near pitch black lighting design, there are some tables in the back. The bartender listened to what types of drinks we like and then brought over cocktail after cocktail after cocktail of his creations, all different, yet all strong and delicious. He must have liked us too because we got a round of shots out of nowhere that we happily took with him. Needless to say, we left very happy.

Restaurant Review: Charlie Bird Part II

Jeremy and I went back to one of our top spots, Charlie Bird, in the West Village. The first time we had a really great experience, and this time was no different. Service was outstanding, as expected, and we had a really lovely evening celebrating 4 years together.

The food and drink line up was as follows...

I wanted to try a new cocktail this time, so I went with the Last Word, which is gin, lime, maraschino, and chartreuse. Jeremy stuck with his Old Pal, made with rye, vermouth, and campari. Both were delicious and strong.

Left: Last Word
Right: Old Pal

We started in the raw section with the Long Island Fluke. This came as a plate full of extremely thinly sliced pieces of raw fluke dressed in olive oil and probably lemon or something tangy, topped with almonds and delicious pickled tomatoes. I love pickled veggies and this was first experience with pickled tomatoes - they were great. The fish was very fresh and I enjoyed this dish, but because the pieces were so thin, the amount of fish you actually get is pretty minimal.

Raw Long Island Fluke

Next was the Tuscan Chicken Liver, served with balsamic raisins, capers, walnuts, and crispy bread to spread it on. I already raved about the liver last time, but I will reinforce that this is the best liver I've ever had. It's not your typical irony liver. It is well seasoned, smooth, and mild. It's an all around wonderful starter.

Tuscan Chicken Liver

Next was the pasta dish. While we liked the Duck Egg Spaghetti the first time, we wanted to try something else. So, we went with the Spaghettini Nero with Dungeness crab, chilies, and Meyer lemon. The black pasta was homemade and there was a decent amount of crab. I wouldn't say this was the most flavorful dish of the night, but it was enjoyable. I would definitely recommend the Duck Egg Spaghetti over this one though.

Spaghettini Nero

Our entree and side came out together - braised rabbit and cauliflower. The braised rabbit was cooked and seasoned nicely, not too gamey. It was served on top of a hash of spring onions, pancetta, and fava beans. Good texture and interesting ingredient combination. I liked this dish while Jeremy REALLY liked it.

Braised Rabbit

The side of cauliflower was "caramelized" and served with pancetta, almonds, and olio nuovo (a type of oil). Because the menu said it was caramelized, I was expecting more of a sticky/sweet situation, but it was actually kind of dry. While I liked the pancetta and almonds flavor combination, I have to admit I had higher hopes for this one.

Caramelized Cauliflower

We went for dessert this time around, and since pignoli cookies are Jer's favorite, the Gelati & Pignoli caught his eye. We had a few choices of gelati and went with the olive oil flavor. This was a fantastic choice, and they were very generous with the portion. The pignolis were fine, but since Jer has such high standards for this cookie, it didn't quite live up to his expectations. It was still good though, don't worry.

Olive oil gelati and pignoli cookies

We had a lovely anniversary dinner with great food in a fun, yet quiet(ish) atmosphere. Since the menu is not huge, I think we have exhausted everything we wanted to try and probably won't rush back again so soon. However, I would still strongly recommend this spot if you haven't been, so go check it out!

Restaurant Review: Kashkaval

My friend suggested we go somewhere off the beaten path for one of our semi-weeklyish dinner dates. She had heard great things about Kashkaval Garden in Hell's Kitchen, so we decided to give it a try. It's a tiny place (that does not take reservations and will not seat you until your entire party is there) with cute, rustic-ish decor. Nothing too memorable, but it was pleasant enough. The staff was all very friendly and I was pleased with the service overall.

This place is known for tapas and cheese, so for food, we went in that direction. We ordered a bunch of small plates and shared everything, which was definitely the way to go.

We started with a plate of 4 tapas - stuffed grape leaves, brussel sprouts, beet hummus, and babaganoush - served with a basket of pita. The stuffed grape leaves are normally a favorite of mine, but I was not impressed with these. The filling was good, but the leaves were tough and almost too fibrous. Roasted brussels are normally something I devour, but I these were undercooked and also too tough. I didn't finish my portion of either. However, the beet hummus was delicious! I normally love anything with beets, and this was no exception. It was creamy and had great beet flavor. The babaganoush was also good. Pretty standard, but creamy and yummy and flavorful. I would definitely get those two again.

Tapas - babaganoush, beet hummus,
brussel sprouts, stuffed grape leaves

Next came a plate of two skewers - one kofte (ground lamb and beef with herbs and spices) and one chicken adana (ground chicken, red pepper, herbs and spices). One the side we chose mushroom bulghur and it also came with a chopska salad (basically an Israeli-style chopped salad with feta).

I liked the kofte skewer. It was very flavorful, but perhaps a bit overcooked. I was not overwhelmed with the chicken adana though. It had no flavor and was very dry. We decided the skewers were an unfortunate choice, however the mushroom bulghur was awesome and the salad was fresh with really nice feta. So, yay for the sides but nay for the mains.

Kofte and chicken adana skewers
with mushroom bulghar and chopska salad

Last was the cheese plate. We went for 3 cheeses - kashkaval (semi-hard sheep's milk) (assuming if a restaurant was named after it, it must be good), Coupole goat, and Saint Angel (a french triple creme cheese) by recommendation of the waiter. The cheese was served with some honey, dried apricots, grapes and an assortment of crackers and bread to spread on. The kashkaval was actually our least favorite. Not bad, but the others were better. The goat was mild and distinct and good, and the Saint Angel was definitely the favorite. It was really decadent and creamy.

Cheese plate - Saint Angel (top left), kashkaval (top right), goat (bottom)

Overall, I really liked 3 things - the beet hummus, the mushroom bulghar, and the Saint Angel cheese. Because the place was cute and the service was great, I would be open to coming back and trying an array of new things. I think the rest of the menu has potential. However, being in Hell's Kitchen, I am not sure when that will be... but you never know!

Restaurant Review: Sons of Essex

I had a great brunch experience with 6 of my gal pals at Sons of Essex. Cool place on the LES. Apparently a brunch hot spot, with dim lighting and a DJ spinning late 80s/early 90s hip hop. We got a fantastic deal from Gilt City that included 6 cocktails, 2 bottles of champagne, 6 entrees, 3 sides, and 2 desserts (oh and coffee/tea if we wanted it). So naturally, we ordered up a storm!

After popping the first bottle of champagne, we got our three sides - truffle tater tots, seasonal fruit, and truffle mac n cheese. They accidentally brought out a fruit parfait with housemade granola and greek yogurt, so we got to try that as well. Everything was great. The tots were crispy, the mac n cheese was creamy (and a generous portion), the fruit was fresh, and the yogurt parfait tasted really natural, creamy, and wholesome.

Truffle tater tots

Fruit and yogurt parfait

Truffle mac n cheese

We also ordered cocktails. Obviously I went with the Bloody Mary which was great, but could have been bigger. I also tasted some of the white sangria which was very fruity, tangy and pretty strong (not a bad thing).

Bloody Mary

Next came the entrees. We each ordered one thing, but ended up splitting and tasting everyone's. We got the lobster benedict, steak and huevos, Essex St omelette with egg whites, stuffed french toast, and 2 S.O.E. brunch pizzas. I didn't try the steak and huevos because it got eh reviews. Apparently the steak was a bit tough. I also didn't try the egg white omelette because who has time for that at a brunch like this.

Steak and huevos

Essex St. omelette (with egg whites)

I tasted the french toast that the menu says is made with cornflake crusted challah, maple marscapone, and homemade ricotta. I looked like red velvet to me, but either way it was fluffy, sweet, and delicious. I could only have one bite though since it was too sweet to eat a large portion of that. (sorry, no photo available).

The lobster benedict was pretty good, nothing crazy. The lobster flavor was definitely there, and there was a decent portion of lobster on top of an English muffin (I think). I asked for the hollandaise on the side so it didn't smother the dish. It also came with a little salad that I dabbled in, but it wasn't dressed (or wasn't dressed well), so I moved on.

Lobster benedict

The S.O.E. brunch pizza was huge and awesome. Scrambled eggs, aged cheddar, and Applewood smoked bacon on a crispy flat bread is a great combo, filling, and easy to share. I think we all were getting so full at that point so we didn't do serious damage, but this was one of my favorite dishes.

S.O.E. brunch pizza

For dessert we went with a chocolate cake and apple streusel. The chocolate cake was served warm with caramel. It was yummy, but nothing amazing. The apple streusel had a warm, crispy topping, but the filling was nothing to write home about. We also were busy with our second bottle of champagne and very full, so dessert was definitely an after thought at this point.

Apple streusel

Chocolate cake

We were finishing up around 3pm and all of a sudden we looked around and the scene had totally changed. The music was still bumpin, but now it was fuller and the crowd seemed to be really decked out, as if it were 11pm. The waitress told us that it can get pretty wild there and they always have bouncers on walkie at brunch time...totally normal.

So, if you are looking for a lively brunch spot with good food and good service, definitely check this place out. I would not recommend bringing your parents or a first date, but great for groups trying to party at brunch time.

Restaurant Review: Cafe El Presidente

A new Mexican restaurant, Cafe El Presidente, opened around the corner from my office and they were nice enough to invite some of our employees to special opening/tasting. Really smart idea if you ask me because my coworkers are always looking for a great after work spot. There was not an overwhelming turnout, which was fine because it was not overcrowded or too loud. The place is a huge open space that has "stations" for everything.

When you first walked in there was a drink station serving yummy sangria, margaritas, and another watermelon drink. Separately, they set up mini cups of grilled corn with some kind of aioli that was delicious (I had 2) and set out baskets of housemade chips with guac that was amazing.

Grilled corn with aioli

Housemade chips and guacamole

There was also a taco station where they were serving tacos made to order (which caused a bit of a back up) with a wide variety to choose from. A unique touch is that they make the tortillas right there in front of you at the "tortilla station" with a big machine exposing the process to the restaurant. The displayed machinery went with the warehouse feel of the decor.

To be honest, I didn't love my 2 tacos - grilled fish (it was too fishy) and pork (not enough flavor), but my coworkers seemed to enjoy theirs including steak, crispy fish, and chicken.

Pork taco

Grilled fish taco

Steak taco

Left: Chicken taco
Right: Crispy fish taco

I am definitely interested to come back and get more corn and chips and try some of the other menu items. I will be keeping this place in mind for after work drinks or even a group dinner.

Restaurant Review: Babbo

Jeremy wanted to celebrate his birthday at Babbo this year. We went two years ago and LOVED our meal, so we decided to go back and check out the pasta tasting menu. We had impeccable service and enjoyed a nice atmosphere with dim, intimate lighting...which is great for ambiance, not so much for photos. I apologize in advance.

The pasta tasting menu consists of 5 pasta dishes and 2 desserts, and we decided to add an appetizer to have something other than pasta for our meal. We also ordered some great red wine which is served generously in a mini carafe and ends up being almost 2 glasses.

The waiter came around with a chickpea salad on toast for amuse bouche. It was nice.

Chickpea salad on toast

Our first dish, not on the tasting menu, was the grilled octopus with borlotti marinati and spicy limoncello vinaigrette. It was a thicker piece and I think slightly overcooked, but I love lemon flavor with grilled octopus, and the spicy kick was a nice change of pace.

Grilled octopus

So, now for the first course of the tasting - black tagliatelle with peas and castelmagno cheese. The black pasta actually didn't have the normal squid ink flavor that you usually get from black pasta, likely because the peas and sauce flavors were pretty powerful. The peas were so sweet and delicious, it was as if they picked them minutes before serving them. Even if you don't like peas, you will like these. The dish was probably half peas though, so it was quite a bit of peas. Ok enough about the peas. This wasn't the best dish of the night, but it was good.

Black tagliatelle with peas and castelmagno cheese

Next course was Casunzei with poppy seeds. This dish was ravioli-like pockets of roasted beets with smoked ricotta and a butter scallion sauce topped with poppy seeds. We all know I love beets, so I really enjoyed this dish. The smokey flavor from the ricotta was potent, as if they smoked it immediately before serving. This flavor became the focal point, but everything came together really nicely.

Casunzei with poppy seeds

The third course was supposed to be the Garganelli with funghi trifolati, however Jeremy is not a fan of mushrooms. Apparently they allow just one substitution so we were able to order the beef cheek ravioli with crushed squab liver and black truffles. We had this the first time we went to Babbo and have been thinking about it ever since, and it was as amazing as we remembered. The beef cheeks were so flavorful and tender, and the liver and black truffles were identifiable, but definitely not overwhelming.

Beef cheek ravioli

The fourth tasting was Agnolotti al pomodoro. We were expecting bigger agnolotti, maybe 4 for the whole dish, but these were little baby agnolottis. They were yummy and the tomato sauce was very very sweet, which was different, but not my favorite. Also, the basil and parsley were so fresh and their flavors came through in every bite.

Agnolotti al pomodoro

The final pasta course was the best - Pappardelle bolognese. I wish this came first because I was getting so full, but this was an amazing dish. The pappardelle was perfectly cooked and the bolognese was just divine. The meat was plentiful and savory and the sauce was very complementary. The was the ultimate Italian dish done just right.

Pappardelle bolognese

The first dessert course was conveniently small, refreshing, and light. The Huckleberry yogurt coppetta came in a small dish and was still pretty frozen, however it softened quickly. The bottom layer was rich yogurt and it was topped with frozen huckleberry puree and then a few fresh huckleberries.

Huckleberry yogurt coppetta

The final dessert course was two different dishes - one was an olive oil cake with gelato and the other was the pastry chef's choice of the night, a pistachio and chocolate semifreddo. 

The olive oil cake was drizzled with EVOO as it was served and looked very pretty. I had high expectations for this cake, thinking that since it's made with oil it would be super moist, but it was just the opposite. Pretty disappointed with this one. The outside was lightly browned and crisp but the inside was so dry. However, the gelato was fantastic. So creamy and authentic tasting.

Olive oil cake

The semifreddo was unreal. The pistachio cream inside was literally perfection and the chocolate shell was so rich. There was espresso in there somewhere, and it was garnished with crushed pistachios. WOW. I was force feeding myself at this point because I was so full, but god was it worth it.

Pistachio and chocolate semifreddo

So that wraps another successful meal and Babbo. While it was a totally different experience the second time around, both trips were great and I highly recommend you try it.