Options Abound at Flex Mussels

I know, I know. I STILL haven't posted my recap from mine & Pat's trip to Chicago last month. I'm terrible! Note to self: don't load photos onto work computer, because you're never going to have time to write a blog post while actually AT work. I should have realized this. I do promise the post is coming though, within the next few days. Seriously this time.

I do want to tell you about the dinner I had last night with Lauren & Jill at Flex Mussels in the West Village. We'd all been meaning to try this place for a while, so we made a reservation for 8pm. We walked in through the cute bar area and were led back into a room illuminated by a glowing beach scene on the back wall. The nautical theme continued throughout the entire space, and we sat down to take a look at the menu.

Talk about variety! They had so many different types of mussel dishes, I think I changed my mind about 5 times before settling on the Little Neck with fresh chopped clams, bacon, red pepper, breadcrumbs and herbs, but I substituted garlic for the red pepper. The entire restaurant smelled like garlic, one of my favorite aromas, so by the time my mussels came out, my mouth was already watering.

Before the mussels, Jill and I shared a yummy goat cheese and beet salad that had amazing candied walnuts in it. I was a little nervous that salad and mussels wouldn't be enough to satisfy my intense hunger, but boy was I wrong! The portion of mussels was enormous. Not to mention mine also included clams and BACON! I didn't count how many mussels were in the bowl, but it was more than enough.

Garlicky, tender and full of flavor, the mussel dish was so good that I almost wanted to drink the leftover liquid once I was finished. Come on, I said almost! I do have manners, you know. I'm excited to go back to Flex to try some of the other mussel dishes on the menu. If mussels aren't really your thing but you want to try the restaurant, Jill had the salmon, which I tasted, and it was very good too. I highly recommend you check out Flex Mussels if you're in the neighborhood. What's your favorite way to eat mussels?

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie

A Great Tasting Menu at Mas (Farmhouse)

Oh how I've missed you all! Please accept my deepest apologies for how long it's been since my last post. Life has been a little hectic lately as I recently got a new job. I am now the Manager of Community Management for two major food industry brands at a large advertising agency in New York. This is truly my dream job, and I feel so lucky to have gotten it. I'm working with wonderful people, and I'm working with what I love: food and social media. Thanks to my friends, my family and my amazing boyfriend for all the love and support.

Now, on to the important stuff. I recently decided I wanted to take Patrick out for a special meal to thank him for the aforementioned love and support, especially during these last few months as my professional life got a bit overwhelming. I told him he could pick anywhere in NYC, and while we entertained thoughts of the tasting menu at WD-50, incredible fish at Le Bernardin, he finally decided on the West Village's Mas (Farmhouse).This was a restaurant we used to pass daily as we walked into our old job in Soho, and somewhere we have both always wanted to try. We waited until a holiday weekend in New York, knowing the city would be very quiet (just the way we like it) and ventured down to the Village for our meal.

From the moment we stepped into the restaurant, I knew this was going to be an experience like nothing we'd ever had before. We were shown to a cozy table for two in the busy but not overly crowded restaurant, and settled in for our food adventure. We noticed the menu mentioned a 6-Course Tasting Menu, but we couldn't find the actual menu for that anywhere. We asked our waiter, and he explained how it works.

You tell him your food likes and your dislikes, things you want to try and things you want to avoid, and the chef creates a custom tasting menu based on your preferences and based on whatever is fresh that day. True "farm to table," this was a concept that was just too good for us to pass up. I told the waiter that I liked almost everything, just nothing too spicy and nothing with too much butter. Pat noted that he did like spicy and would pretty much eat anything. And with that instruction, our meal was underway. It's no secret that I like to take pictures of my food, but this place, and this night and this vibe, it just didn't seem right. I decided to put the camera away for the night and just take everything in. Hopefully, I will be able to describe the food to help you envision it, but apologies for the lack of photos.

We had some very yummy cocktails while we waited in anticipation for what was to come. I had a vodka grapefruit concoction while Pat opted for his usual Manhattan. The first dish that came out was fresh shrimp with several fresh vegetables, and it was quite delicious. I know I just said fresh twice, but that doesn't even begin to describe it. It was as if the shrimp had just been plucked from the sea and the vegetables picked from a garden outside. This was a great start to our meal. Also, each dish was brought out by two people who placed the plates on the table, in front of each of us, in perfect unison, and then plucked the empty plates from us as soon as they were empty. A nice touch.

The next course needs not only its own paragraph, but its own blog! It doesn't sound spectacular, but oh boy, was it ever. The two waiters placed small bowls of green liquid in front of us and we truly had no idea what we were in for. Asparagus soup with shaved white truffles, poached scallops, sweet corn and trumpet mushrooms. One bite of this soup and Patrick and I looked up at each other in a moment of pure food bliss. The broth was a little sweet, incredibly fresh, full of intensely amazing flavor and the epitome of absolute perfection in a bowl. There is no way for me to emphasize this enough, it was simply the most divine thing I have ever tasted. The scallops were buttery and tender, the corn was sweet and the truffles and trumpet mushrooms added an earthiness to the soup that knocked it out of the park. I literally picked up my bowl for the last sip and almost licked it clean. Then I remembered my manners and didn't, but I REALLY wanted to!

When the waiters surrounded our table to lift the plates away, it was like saying good-bye to an old friend. I knew that I had to have that soup again and that any dish that came after would pale in comparison. At this point our waiter seemed to have realized that he forgot something pretty big and asked us if we'd be interested in a wine pairing with the rest of our courses. We were interested, but a little annoyed that he was only asking us now after we were two dishes in. At this time, new plates were placed in front of us and we prepared ourselves for the next dish. A simple piece of Halibut sat in the center of the plate and we were served two glasses of red wine. I was surprised that the wine was red to pair with fish, but it was actually perfect. Light, slightly chilled and crisp, it paired very well with the dish. Halibut is one of my favorite fishes for its sheer simplicity, so I was pretty excited. And for good reason. The fish was light, flaky, buttery and fresh. It was unspoiled by any heavy sauces or seasonings and was just very simple and delicious. The piece of fish wasn't very large, but was just enough to be a satisfying seafood course. Again our plates were whisked away, and we were ready for the next course.

Roasted chicken with crispy skin was again paired with a delicious red wine. The chicken was moist and full of flavor, the skin was perfectly crispy and salted just to my liking. The wine was smooth and paired beautifully. We thoroughly enjoyed this course but we were both hoping for a heartier meat to finish off the pre-dessert courses. And speaking of dessert, I actually asked the waiter if my final course could be something savory, like a cheese course, and he told me it wouldn't be an issue. The next plates were brought out, and we were both very excited to see that the final dinner course was a crispy pork belly. Patrick and I both love pork belly and this dish certainly didn't disappoint. Properly fatty, tender, savory and yummy, our plates were empty almost immediately. A third glass of red wine, this time a bolder, richer wine, was paired with the pork and was really able to stand up to the flavor of the meat.

As we waited for our dessert course and finished our final glasses of red, we began to look back on the meal and discuss how much we both enjoyed it. We really couldn't get over how incredible the asparagus soup with scallops had been and we discussed how we'd go about describing it to friends before deciding we'd never be able to do it justice. Even now, as you're reading this, you won't be able to fully appreciate this soup unless you go to Mas yourself and try it. It's just that good!

Unfortunately a piece of cake was placed in front of me, and I was disappointed that the waiter had messed up my final course at such a nice restaurant. I didn't want to complain, so I ate some of it (confirming how little I really like cake) and the waiter stopped by the table to check on us. He looked at my plate and realized his oversight. Now don't get me wrong, I'm okay with mistakes as long as they're handled properly. This was not. To make up for accidentally bringing me out a sweet dish when I told him I favored savory to sweet, he poured us a complimentary glass of sweet dessert wine. It was really surprising to me that he thought this was an acceptable make-good, but our meal had been so incredibly good that I let it slide.

I paid the bill and we were back out into the New York City night with our stomachs full of incredible food. For a wonderful tasting menu experience, I highly recommend Mas (Farmhouse) and hopefully they will work out the small service glitches to make it a truly perfect experience.

Do you enjoy tasting menus or do you prefer larger portions of less dishes during a meal? There are a lot of tasting menus I still want to try, but I'm so happy we tried Mas.

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie

Delicious Food, Quirky Service at Craftbar

Let’s be completely honest here for a second: Sundays stink. Not only are they the end of the weekend and the gateway to the most awful day of the week, but usually I’m tired from going out Saturday night (my own fault, I realize) and bummed out that I have another 5 days of work until my next weekend. Due to these facts, Patrick and I decided that we would no longer dread Sundays, but instead we would start a tradition of Sunday Night Dinners where we’d have an awesome dinner to look forward to on Sunday nights.

Last weekend we decided to kick off this new tradition with a dinner at Tom Colicchio’s CraftBar. (PHOTO CREDIT: Blonde in the Kitchen)

It’s no secret that I’m a big time Colicchio fan, and I’ve been wanting to try this more casual version of Craft, the restaurant that Patrick took me to for my 26th birthday dinner. We made a reservation and walked downtown in the warm Sunday summer air.

When we walked into the restaurant, it was almost completely empty. This sometimes turns me off, but on a random Sunday night at 6pm in the summer I expect many restaurants to be empty. We were shown to our table and our waiter came over almost immediately. This is where things got really interesting. Our waiter was nothing short of hilarious. With an incredibly dry sense of humor and a strong opinion on what we should eat and drink, he provided constant entertainment throughout the entire meal. For diners as open-minded as us, he hit the jackpot. I could imagine anyone with less of a sense of humor or pickier eating habits being completely turned off by his personality, but not us. We were delighted.

When I told him I wanted a white similar to Sauvignon Blanc but something new, he recommended the Pinot Blanc instead. It was dry, crisp, cold and mild—exactly how I prefer my white wine. It was also several dollars cheaper per glass than the Sauv Blanc, so I gave him silent points for not recommending something pricier. When we told him we were ready to order, he let us know that he’d be right back to tell us about what else they were offering, exclaiming that he was certain we’d need to hear these menu additions. And again, he was right.

The entrée special for the evening was Berkshire pork for two. Our favorite! He described that the pork was prepared three ways, and while I again can’t recall everything he said, all I really remember are the use of phrases like “succulent,” “fall off the bone” and “you won’t be sorry.” We ordered this dish immediately for dinner. Our hilarious waiter assured me that I would be so happy with the pork dish that I’d have to resist the urge to hug him, but that he’d settle for an enthusiastic high-five.

Patrick and I decided to start the meal off by sharing the Fried Pacific Oysters with Pickled Cucumber and Old Bay Aïoli. Ever since the fried oysters we had at Beauty & Essex, I’ve been craving them. This version definitely didn’t disappoint.Enormous, flavorful oysters were lightly dusted with a crispy coating that had a really great spice to it. There were four oysters in the order, and even half the order was plenty for me given the size of the mollusks.

The next thing we shared was the Duck Rillette Bruschetta with Fried Duck Egg, Mizuna and Orange Aïoli.This dish consisted of some very tender duck meat (Rillettes is a preparation of meat similar to pate. The meat is cubed or chopped, salted heavily and cooked slowly in fat until it is tender enough to be easily shredded, and then cooled with enough of the fat to form a paste. Thanks Wikipedia!) While the meat on this dish was a bit salty, I didn’t find it to be too overwhelming and I actually quite enjoyed it. The fried duck egg introduced a nice texture to the dish but I found the aioli to be rather unremarkable. Overall, though, I definitely enjoyed the it.

As the courses came out of the kitchen and our waiter made frequent visits to our table, he continued to strike up witty banter with us. While the restaurant was empty when we got there and he admitted he was excited we were there so he’d have someone to talk to, people did begin to pour into the restaurant and soon it was quite busy. Regardless of the other patrons, our waiter supplied superb service all night. I noticed that he saw our water glasses were near empty from afar, and I saw him subtly nod to a support person who immediately ran to our table with a pitcher of water. We truly enjoyed his style.

Finally, the pork dish came out. It was a gigantic skillet that was filled to the brim with green vegetables and pork galore.There were pork cheeks braised in red wine and a hearty helping of pork trotters (pig’s feet) that were lightly fried. I can’t recall the third preparation but I remember the meat being tender and very yummy. To top the whole thing off, there were several pork rinds in there because, well, why not?! We really enjoyed the pork for two, even with the $70+ price tag, but since the dish was plenty of food for the two of us the price wasn’t too crazy. In the end, I did high-five the waiter.

We ordered coffees but skipped dessert, as per usual, and left Craftbar with a very positive feeling about the experience. Our waiter, although very unusual, was knowledgeable, friendly and quite funny. I hope he uses good judgment when laying his charm on patrons and holds back his over-the-top sense of humor if he can tell it won’t be well-received. Patrick and I were very entertained.

What are your thoughts on quirky service? Would you prefer a waitperson remain strictly professional at all times? Or are you okay with a little comedy show to accompany your meal? Let me know, I’d love to hear what you think

Let’s Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie

Eating My Way Through Austin: Days 1 & 2

How unusual for me, two travel posts in a row! I really don't travel very much but this spring has found me in several interesting locations with great food so NYC will have to wait! Plus, when I'm in New York my life is so crazy that I've rarely had time to write (tragic!). I'm currently in Austin, TX for the International Association of Culinary Professionals National Conference hanging with fellow foodies and bloggers. This is my third day here and I've already had quite a few adventures.

I traveled down with Kristen Hess, the Artful Gourmet and we met Marie Asselin at the airport. Marie's food blog is Food Nouveau. I met both of these lovely ladies at the Regional IACP Conference in New York this past winter and we all decided to travel down here to Austin for the National Conference. Marie and I were going to be roommates for the trip to Austin and I was so excited! Another friend who came down for the conference is Rev who you all know better as Burger Conquest. So many great people are down in Austin this week!

We all got in just before 11pm on Tuesday night and decided to go out on 6th Street for a few drinks after checking in at our hotel. Little did we know that our night would end with Pickle Back Shots! In general, the bars on 6th Street were pretty dead for what Kristen & I are used to in NYC, but the drinks were super cheap ($6 for Ketel Soda?!) and it was fun catching up with the girls. When I asked them if they'd ever heard of Pickle Back shots and they hadn't, I knew I had to get us some. I asked the bartender at the bar we were at where I could get some, and she directed us to a bar just up the street. We walked a few blocks to the bar she recommended and asked that bartender for Pickle Backs. What we found out was that this bartender LOVED the shots and usually had them on hand, but since they are so rarely ordered, he stopped keeping pickle juice. "Do you ladies want me to run to the corner store and grab some pickles?" he asked. "How long will that take?" we asked him. "Only one minute!" he replied. And off he went in search of pickles.

He came back after I pointed out that something like this would NEVER happen in NYC and poured us some lovely pickle back shots.4 to be exact, including one for him. And do you know how much they were? $14! 4 shots for $14? Insanely cheap. We went to bed after 2am feeling wonderful and excited about the days to come in Austin.

We woke up the next morning and went to check-in for the conference. Here I am with my official IACP badge!After we were done with the registration we decided to get breakfast at a spot called Juan in a Million. A few people had recommended their breakfast tacos, so I suggested we try it. We met up with another fellow IACP member, Nikki Gardner, whose food blog is Art and Lemons, to go get some grub. We took a quick cab ride there and the place was so adorable!We got a table for 4 and began to look over the huge menu. I knew I wanted tacos so I ordered the Chorizo with Egg Breakfast Taco, the "Don Juan" taco (A secret combination of potato, egg, bacon and cheese in a deliciously hot tortilla, according to the menu) and a side of guacamole. Little did I know I had just ordered enough food for all 4 of us on my own!

I just read that Man vs. Food's Adam Richman visited Juan in a Million for the Don Juan taco challenge in which he had EIGHT of the massive tacos. I couldn't even finish one!This was one massive taco and even though it was truly delicious, I barely made a dent in it.

The Egg & Chorizo taco was also really good, thankfully much smaller than the Don Juan taco, and I was actually able to finish it.I (of course) asked to have cheese added and I enjoyed that the chorizo was ground up to maximize the flavor.

The guacamole was also a huge portion and needed a little something to make it great, namely a few squeezes of a lime.I enjoyed putting it all over my breakfast and scooping it up with some crunchy tortilla chips.

After breakfast we were lucky enough to meet Juan himself, a sweet man with a clear passion for his restaurant.Thanks for everything Juan, our breakfast was great!

Without realizing it, I skipped lunch that day because I was so full from my huge breakfast. I had a few interesting panels that day, including The Craft of Food Writing. That night, there was an opening reception party held at a museum in Austin with food and drinks from a bunch of local restaurants. My favorite dishes of the night were:

1. The Chorizo-Stuffed Medjool Dates from FINO Restaurant Patio & Bar (with a lovely mix of veggies on the plate as well)I went back about 5 times for just the dates, they were absolutely incredible.

2. The Beef Short Ribs with Shishito Pepper Jam and Burrata Cheese from Second Bar + Kitchen (and I was lucky enough to have dinner the next night with the chef, Ethan Holmes, but more on that later)
3. The Japanese Hamachi and Big-Eye Tuna from Eddie V's Prime Seafood
4. The Green Chile Pork Tacos from Roaring Fork (also owned by Eddie V's)
5. Honorable Mention to the Fried Quail Egg Benedict from Catering by Rosemary because while I didn't love the way it tasted, it was by far the most beautiful, colorful dish at the party.
I went to sleep that night VERY full, and looking forward to the many more eating adventures to come in Austin.

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie

PS- One non-food thing I forgot to mention is that I got to hold a baby armadillo and pose with a bull! The armadillo's name was Matt Dillo and he was AWESOME. I don't know what the bull's name was, but I was really scared of his sharp horns!I love animals and it was so fun to play with them!

Welcome to Miami

While New York City food is definitely what I know best, I sometimes travel outside of the city and when I do, I love to write about the food I find. A few weeks ago I traveled to South Beach with Jill, Stevie and Jen for a quick girl trip getaway. I knew most of our daytime meals would be eaten next to the pool, I was intent on finding us some awesome dinner spots for our Friday and Saturday night dinners. We had originally planned to go to Barton G. and Wish, but once we got down there and talked to a few locals, we changed our minds and made brand new reservations. More on that later.

As I expected, we ate lunch every day at our hotel, The Loews, by the pool. The restaurant was called The Nautilus and we actually had some very good meals there. For our first meal, I had a Turkey Wrap with bacon and avocado.

Jen and I shared it, and they served each half of the wrap with a hearty portion of fresh fruit. Yum! My favorite thing I had poolside though were the fresh fish tacos and I had them several times over the few days we were there.

Light, flaky fish was paired with fresh veggies to create the perfect taste of the sea. I also had a great Shrimp Cesar salad that was not too heavy, which was great since I was eating it while wearing a bathing suit.

Maybe everything tasted better because we were in sunny South Beach, but we all really enjoyed sitting in the sun and eating these fresh dishes.

The stand-out meals were definitely our Friday and Saturday night dinners. Friday night we ended up at Red the Steakhouse at the recommendation of the bartender at Emeril’s (who made a mean blue-cheese stuffed olive dirty martini!) I had heard Prime 112 couldn’t be missed, but he assured us that the food at Red was just as good and the service was much better. We headed to the restaurant with our stomachs growling and boy was I happy I brought my appetite!

We started with 8 oz. of Buratta Cheese that was absolutely divine.

Rich, creamy and nutty in flavor, the cheese was perfectly balanced with the ripe tomatoes and sharp balsamic drizzled over the top. Heaven! Since Jill eats her steak charred (don’t worry, I’m working on it), Stevie, Jen and I decided to share the Surf & Turf between the 3 of us because it was a ton of food and because all 3 of us eat our steak bloody. The steak came with a heaping portion of crab leg meat and it worked out perfectly because I mostly wanted steak, Jen mostly wanted seafood and Stevie wanted a little of both. The portion was enormous, as was the price tag, but when the 3 of us split it it made sense.

The steak was cooked to our liking and the buttery crab meat was so tender you could cut it with a spoon.

I got Jill to try a piece of our steak and even she admitted it was pretty good.

We ordered some sides to go with our main courses and those were fabulous as well. The dish that really blew me away was the Potatoes au Gratin. Soft potatoes covered in ooey gooey cheese made for a decadent dish. I wanted to lick the plate clean!

We also got a side of broccoli and spinach and while there was nothing too spectacular about them, they were also quite yummy.

We sipped both white and red wine and enjoyed a leisurely 3-hour meal before retiring to the bar to claim our free round of drinks (thank you FourSquare!) My friends may make fun of me for being a Social Media nerd, but free drinks? I didn’t hear any complaints.

Saturday during the day we stopped by SushiSamba for happy hour and to munch on some sushi. The drinks were chilly and refreshing and the sushi was fresh and flavorful. Between the 4 of us we shared a Seaweed Salad and several rolls. We sat around, people-watched (something Manhattanites LOVE to do), sipped our cocktails and enjoyed each other's company. It was lovely.

We made the call to have our Saturday night dinner at Philippe Chow's Philippe because the menu looked absolutely incredible. I was still craving Peking Duck after my Adventure in Chinatown with Patrick, and I was determined to have some. We had a round of drinks at the Gansevoort's STK before our late 10:30pm reservation. A few of us were craving cucumber drinks, so as soon as we sat down at our table we ordered some Cucumber Martinis which were downright yummy. Then we ordered a few more, and a few more. But who's counting? We're on vacation!

We decided to share the famous Chicken Satays prepared in Chef Chow's Famous Cream Sauce per Stevie's recommendation and the Pork Soup Dumplings (my fave). I admit I was expecting the satays to be nothing spectacular but boy was I wrong! Stevie, I'm sorry for doubting you. They were fantastic! The sauce was like nothing I had ever tasted before. The chicken was hot and tender. If you find yourself at Philippe, GET THE SATAYS!

The Pork Soup Dumplings had a very nice flavor and the dumplings themselves were the perfect consistency. I don't like when the outer layer is too thick, and these were great. Soup dumplings are just so good!

We then got the Chilean Sea Bass with black bean and garlic, also good. I would say this was my least favorite part of the meal, but not because it was bad. It was just something I thought I'd be able to get anywhere else. The fish was very fresh and flaked apart easily but I wouldn't recommend the fish if you're dining there.

Now, on to the Peking Duck! I was so happy we all decided to order it because I really wanted to experience the chef slicing it up table-side. And what an experience it was! He brought out the full duck and it was just beautiful.

He then began to slice it up to create a plate of the most succulent meat I have ever tasted. He cut the duck with a masterful precision and I found the whole process to be fascinating.

And then, we tasted the duck!

Served with pancakes and hoison sauce, this duck was absolutely out of this world. Savory, packed with rich flavor, tender... everything it should be. We ended up having to order more pancakes because we couldn't stop eating! We polished off every last piece of the bird and were absolutely stuffed.

If you are at all interested in Peking Duck, I highly recommend you order it. My mouth is watering just remembering it! I will definitely have it again soon.

We had a great trip, and the food was definitely memorable. Do you have any favorite places in South Beach? Where do you like to travel?

Thanks to the girls for making the trip so great!

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie

Maryland Does Crabs

You know the saying: "Crabcakes and Football... that's what Maryland does!" Turns out that I can vouch for at least the first half (and will not say anything complimentary about the Ravens even though Patrick and his family are huge Baltimore fans.) When I went home to Maryland with Patrick for Easter, I made sure to get my fill of delicious Maryland crab. His mom (hi Mrs. Patty!) makes incredible crab cakes unlike anything you could get in NYC and we make a point to get lunch at his hometown crab spot, Reter's Crabhouse.

We met some of Patrick's friends there for lunch over Easter weekend and they all got Softshell Crab sandwiches.Although these looked delicious, I knew I had to order the full crabs that you pull apart and hit with a mallet! It's so much more fun that way. They had Jumbo crabs available that day, so I ordered two and prepared myself for the huge mess I knew I'd make.

Patrick taught me how to get all the meat out of the crab during last year's visit to Reter's, but he still had to help me this time. Here is my lunch, covered in Old Bay seasoning (of course):The first step in eating these suckers is to pull off the claws, crack them open by any means necessary and carefully pull out the meat. Then you pull off the legs, one by one, and remove the tiny pieces of meat from each one. Now comes the hard part. There is a flexible piece of the shell that resembles a tail that you pick up and use as leverage for opening the entire body, which you then crack in half. This is where it gets gross. There is some gunk inside this part that needs to be removed, and because my boyfriend is wonderful, he does this part for me. Not that I couldn't do it, he's just very sweet and knows that it grosses me out a little. It's important to note that whenever I eat lobster, my dad does all the dirty work for me (even though I'm 26). But when it comes to Maryland crabs, Patrick's my man.

Once you get the body cleaned out, the real fun begins. Mom, I know I've already lost you at this point and you're probably gagging at your computer.

You then use the mallet to break apart the shell and you are rewarded with giant chunks of succulent crab meat. Once the entire crab is clean of meat, you are left with a lovely pile of broken shells to show for all your hard work.The crabs at Reter's are awesome, and I look forward to going there every time I go home to Maryland with Patrick. I also crave his mom's crabcakes and secretly hope she'll read this, come visit us in New York and bring her amazing crabcakes!

I leave you with a picture of Patrick's family's dog, Finn, because I love him and he's amazing.Hi Finn!!

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie

Awesome Dishes Around NYC

While I do sometimes like to focus on one meal at one particular restaurant, I thought it was about time that I share some delicious dishes I've had recently around the city--a "round up" if you will. I eat about 99% of my meals out and while some of those entire meals aren't necessarily worth a story, some of the individual food is.

1. Fish Tacos at good restaurant in the West VillageI've already raved about the brunch, but last time I was there having brunch with Jill & Jen I decided to order the fish tacos because, well, I love fish tacos! These didn't disappoint, and I highly recommend you try them (but only after you've worked your way through their standard brunch menu!)

2. Soup Dumplings at Dumpling Man in the East VillageSoup Dumplings are also one of my very favorite things. This place is a definite go-to for us whenever we're in the East Village, especially since Caroline and I used to only live 1 block away. You get to watch your food being made right in front of you.If you order delivery from Dumpling Man, you can log onto their website and spy on the place from their live webcam. (Right Sam?)

3. Crab & Spicy Tuna Timbale at Sagaponack in the FlatironThe only thing that could make spicy tuna better is to add a few of my favorite things: crab, avocado and mango. This appetizer at the charming nautical-themed restaurant in the Flatiron was so good that I almost wished Patrick and I had each ordered our own.

4. Roasted Shitake Mushroom Sandwich from Olives in SohoThis is, hands down, one of the most delicious sandwiches in the entire city. Maybe it's the unique texture of the roasted mushrooms, maybe it's the herb ricotta spread all over it. Whatever it is, get yourself down to Soho and order this sandwich, you won't be disappointed!

5. Croque Monsieur at The Boom Boom Room (Top of the Standard) in Meatpacking (important to note, Boom Boom has no website. So sometimes I doubt it actually exists.)Maybe it was the plethora of cocktails we consumed during Stevie's Birthday Brunch before visiting Boom Boom. Maybe it was the ridiculously ooey gooey cheese melted all over the dish. Maybe it was because we were taking in some of the best views in the city while eating it. Whatever it was, I'm still drooling over the Croque Monsieur from Boom Boom.

What are some of your favorite dishes in NYC, or wherever you live? I am constantly finding new food that I love, and these are just a few examples. Looking forward to discovering lots of yummy new dishes.

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie

2nd Annual "Taste of 7th Street"

As a former resident of East 7th Street (between 1st Ave & Ave A) the “Taste of 7th Street” event is near and dear to my heart.Here are the details for the 2nd annual event:

Who: Some of the best restaurants & bars in the East Village

What: $18 for $34 worth of awesome East Village fare including:
-Small Lobster Roll at Luke’s Lobster
-Choice of Currywurst + any 8oz beer on tap/soda or Neumberger bratwurst in a roll + small side of potato salad/sauerkraut + any 8oz beer on tap/soda at Wechsler’s Currywurst
-Choice of 4 pork or 4 veggie dumplings at Dumpling Man
-Two cupcakes from Butter Lane Cupcakes
-One vanilla rainbow or chocolate rainbow donut from Cowgirl’s Baking
-$2 off beers at Jimmy’s No. 43, Burp Castle and Standings Bar
Where: East Village, NYC
When: Wednesday-Friday 4/20-4/22
How: Visit Scoop St. to buy your ticket before they sell out!

Why: When it comes to good food in NYC, have I ever steered you wrong?

Let's Eat!

-The Fabulous Foodie

Solid Italian Fare at La Carbonara

From the outside, it looks like any other New York City restaurant, so it was by the fate of the OpenTable gods that we landed at La Carbonara for dinner one night a few months ago. Patrick and I took his friends from Maryland out to dinner to this Italian spot on 14th Street between 7th & 8th Avenues and from the second we walked in the door we fell in love with it.

Now don't get me wrong, I always have been and always will be Max's biggest fan, but since we moved to Chelsea, the trek to either Tribeca or the East Village seems far when we're craving pasta, so we've found a new home at La Carbonara. Let me break it down for you. The cozy atmosphere gives diners low lighting, a noise level that is never too loud even when the restaurant is packed (and it is always packed), and small wooden tables far enough apart for privacy but close enough together to feel like you're sharing a meal with 100 of your closest friends. The staff is incredibly attentive and welcoming and the decor makes you feel like you're having a comfortable dinner in your Italian grandmother's dining room. This restaurant makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and I haven't even gotten to the food yet.

(photo credit: La Carbonara)

As I said, we took some of Patrick's friends here a few months ago and everything was wonderful. But the meal I want to tell you about took place last Friday night. Patrick and I (once again) both had rough weeks at work and decided we owed ourselves a good dinner date. We chose La Carbonara because we were craving some pasta and we loved it so much the last time we had gone. We were shown to our table by the same man who had served us last time, presumably a manager, an incredibly nice Italian guy with a ponytail and beard. We soon found out he'd be our waiter again, and his service was flawless. He checked on us enough times to be helpful but not so much that it was overwhelming.

We decided to split the Oven-Baked Eggplant with Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella to start. I love that this dish is baked and not fried, and was really in the mood for this savory treat. It arrived to our table in a small bowl and the aroma nearly knocked me out of my chair. I couldn't wait to dig in!The eggplant was both crispy and soft in all the right places, the cheese was melted to perfection and the sauce rivaled the best I'd had. On the whole, we made a phenomenal appetizer selection.

For some reason, I was really craving seafood. While Patrick went with the Rigatoni with Veal Ragu, I scanned the menu and was really hoping there would be a stand-out seafood special. I was not disappointed. Not only did they have a pasta dish with mussels, shrimp AND lobster, the pasta in said dish was black squid ink pasta, one of my favorites! They had it paired with a spicy marinara but I opted for a garlic white wine sauce. I couldn't wait for our food to arrive! While we waited, Patrick sipped on a crisp white wine and I indulged in a glass of Prosecco.

Our food was finally ready, and I knew it was coming because I could see the lobster on my plate from across the room! Patrick's pasta looked great:but I was very happy with the plate that was placed in front of me:And of course when the busboy brought over the chunk of Parmesean with the grater we kept him at our table for a good long time grating cheese over our dishes. What is a plate of pasta without a mound of cheese on top?

I am proud to say I finished every last bite of the incredible dish. The seafood was so fresh, the pasta was cooked exactly to my liking (al dente!) and I always have a good time cracking open lobster (even though, to this day, my dad cracks it open for me when I get lobster with my family.) I was in heaven! I tried Patrick's pasta, and it was also very good, but braised meat is not my favorite. He definitely enjoyed it though.

La Carbonara has quickly become one of our favorite places in the city. When a great atmosphere is paired with both wonderful service and delicious food, you really can't go wrong. We'll be back for sure, and we'll send new customers to this great spot too!

Where is your favorite place to get pasta in the city? Do you like fancy Italian at places like Del Posto? Or do you prefer good down-home pasta at places like Max and La Carbonara? Let me know, I'd love to hear what you think.

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie