Review: Edible Manhattan's Good Beer Event

Jeremy and I heard about Edible Manhattan's Good Beer event and thought it sounded fun. This event was the publication's 6th annual, and it had a pretty good showing. Not sure how many people were there, maybe 200, and there were about 65+ food vendors and beer breweries represented.

The food and beer pairing was held at 82 Mercer event space, which is pretty cool and conducive to the event. Upon arrival, everyone was given a beer glass and a fork to use while navigating all of the vendors. Unfortunately, juggling your glass and your food plate is a common problem at these types of events and I really wish we had thought to bring our handy-dandy "glass holder necklaces."

(yes, we actually have these)

We were able to find some random spots around to post up for a minute while we ate and drank the current selection, however I would have really appreciated several high tops around the room.

There were many restaurants I knew of there, but it seemed like the unknowns (to me) were the most memorable. Since we ate and drank SO much, I thought it would be best to just highlight some of my favorite dishes from the night.

Good Restaurant featured toast topped with avocado, English pea and ricotta salata. The toast was crispy on the outside, but easy to bite, creating a nice vehicle for the avocado spread and fresh sweet peas. The ricotta was not the star here, but made the entire topping creamy and delicious.

Avocado toast

L&W Oyster Co. featured a sloppy shark taco with fennel coleslaw and salsa verde. I am not sure if I have ever had shark before, but this was great! I love fish tacos and this one did not disappoint. The shark was blackened and seasoned well, and honestly tasted similar to a white fish like tilapia. The fennel coleslaw and salsa verde freshened the dish up with some crunch and a little kick.

Sloppy shark taco

Gramercy Tavern served up jerk chicken with avocado and cucumber on a black rice chip. The chicken had a ton of flavor and a bit of spice, but the avocado and cucumber cooled it off. The black rice chip was a great base because it was thin, crispy, and held it's own salty flavor.

Jerk chicken on a black rice chip

Chapter One had by far the most robust offering with 2 giant pork ribs. The ribs were smoked and had a bourbon molasses glaze, served with grilled sweet corn relish on top. The meat was super tender and tasty, and the sauce was sweet-ish and good. The corn relish fell off as soon as you went to eat the rib, but the flavors were there and it was a nice accompaniment.

Smoked pork ribs

So I think I found my new favorite place - Jacob's Pickles! Well, I have not actually tried it other than the amazing spread of pickles they had at this event, but I am definitely intrigued. I love pickles of all forms and this display made me very happy - from cucumber pickles of varying flavors to string beans, carrots, and jalapenos.

Jacob's Pickles

The Vanderbilt served the most interesting dish of the night - carrot salami and rabbit mortadella. The carrots smoked and had an intensely smokey flavor, and the rabbit was in a salami/sausage form with pomegranate jelly. I actually didn't love either of these - the carrots were TOO smokey and the rabbit had an odd flavor that was kind of irony, but Jeremy was really into it.

Carrot salami and rabbit mortadella

Monument Lane brought duck roulette with pickled mustard seeds and red pepper jam on toast. I have had more flavorful dishes for sure, but I liked the flavor combination here and appreciated the duck.

Duck roulette

I also want to note an awesome new beer I got to try from Brooklyn Brewery. They were previewing Weizenhammer and I really enjoyed the bold taste. I tried many other beers at this event, but this one stuck out to me.

After about 2 hours we decided that we had tried pretty much everything, and were full to the point of discomfort, so it was time to head home. Overall a fun night, and I found a few new restaurants (to me) to add to the list!

Restaurant Review: El Porron

In planning dinner with some girl friends, everyone seemed to know about El Porron but me. They all were raving, so I was excited to see what this place was all about. Five of us went to this Upper East Side tapas place, and enjoyed a really wonderful meal.

We started with some wine, ordered from a pretty reasonable wine list. I am not a wine connoisseur but I know it was good Sauvignon Blanc!

Then we went rattled off several small plates and a few entrees to the waiter:

The Jamon Serrano - thin slices of dry-cured Spanish country ham served with toast and topped with tomato and garlic. The ham was delicious, and the flavors paired well when eaten on top of the toast with tomato/garlic. This was a good starter.

Jamon Serrano

Pulpo A La Gallega - boiled octopus in EVOO, red wine vinegar, Spanish "pimenton" paprika and Mediterranean sea salt. I prefer octopus to be grilled and charred, but this was still tasty and not rubbery or too chewy. The vinegar gave it a nice tang and I found the dish to be very tasty.

Pulpo A La Gallega

Gambas A La Plancha Con Sal Gorda - whole grilled tiger shrimp with coarse Mediterranean sea salt. I was hoping this would come with either more shrimp or larger shrimp (or both!), but nonetheless it was extremely flavorful and served in a delicious garlicky sauce.

Gambas A La Plancha Con Sal Gorda

Croquettes special with risotto, spinach, and pinenuts served a tomato-based sauce. This was fried perfectly without grease and everything inside was creamy and heavenly.

Croquettes special

Vieras Con Tocino En Salsa De Esparragos - pan-seared sea scallops sprinkled with crispy bacon bits, garlic and breadcrumbs in a white asparagus sauce. The scallops were cooked perfectly (lightly browned on the edges and smooth inside) and the bacon on top was perfect for a salty contrast. The asparagus sauce was creamy and rich and really brought the whole thing together.

Vieras Con Tocino En Salsa De Esparragos

The skirt steak special entree came perfectly cooked- medium rare as requested. This is not on the regular menu so I don't remember the details, but I do know that it was well-seasoned, fantastic, and accompanied by some fresh sauteed veggies such as snow peas, carrots, and zucchini.

Skirt Steak special

Paella Marinera - saffron rice with chicken, veal, Spanish chorizo, monkfish, mussels, squid, clams, bay scallops, shrimp, bell peppers, green peas and onions. This paella entree was pretty good, but not the best paella I have ever had. Everything in it was tasty and there was a wide variety of ingredients, but it just wasn't the most memorable. However, it seemed to be a good thing to order for the table as it's easy to share and everyone can find something in it that they like.

Paella Marinera

After some debate, we decided to go with one of the dessert specials to cap off the meal - churros with chocolate sauce and berry garnish. Not only was this the smallest portion of churros I have ever seen, they were rock hard. It literally crumbled when you bit into it. This was pretty disappointing because the rest of the meal was so good and this is the last thing you are left with.

Churros dessert special

However, I will look beyond the terrible dessert and say that I had a wonderful, highly flavorful meal with good service and a relaxed, intimate atmosphere. I will definitely be going back to try out more of the extensive menu. I definitely recommend checking it out and bringing along at least a group of 4 here so you can make the most of your order.

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.