Fabulous Food: WD-50

If you're going to claim to be a foodie in NYC, there are certain restaurants that just have to be on your "must try" list. Per Se (it can't be the #1 restaurant on every NYC list for no reason), Del Posto (to see if it really deserved that 4th Michelin star) and, as the title of this post suggests, WD-50 (because what does "molecular gastronomy" really taste like, Mr. Dufresne?) Ever since I met my boyfriend Patrick a few years ago, this restaurant has been at the top of his "must try" list. For his birthday last week, I decided to surprise him with dinner at WD-50.

Let me start off by saying that I decided to take Patrick to WD-50 in mid-September. When I went on OpenTable.com (a popular reservation website) to make the reservation, I noticed there were only 6pm and 9pm reservations. How could this be? I was looking at dates that were a month out. I figured I'd give them a call. I told them I wanted a reservation at 7:30pm on October 21st. "Would you like to take 6pm or 9pm?" Seriously?! On a Thursday night a month in advance? Now I, too, was intrigued. I took the 9pm reservation and figured we'd just make a late night out of it.

We ended up at a bar in Soho for our friend Sam's last day at her old job before dinner, so we got into a cab around 8:30pm. I whispered the streets to the cab driver and made Patrick close his eyes. I was so excited to surprise him! We finally arrived on Clinton in the Lower East Side and got out of the cab across the street from WD-50. When he noticed the restaurant, a huge smile spread across his face. He looked like a little kid in Disney World. Finally we'd get to eat at the restaurant he's been pining after for years!

We stepped inside and were told our table was not yet ready, which was fine because we were early. We sat at the bar and ordered drinks. I had a fantastically crisp Savignon Blanc while Patrick, as usual, ordered the most intriguing cocktail on the menu, which was a mix of tequila and about 10 other ingredients. He loved it, and we were off to a good start.

When our table was finally ready, we were lead into the dining area and that is when we saw Wylie Dufresne himself in the open-layout kitchen. We were instantly starstruck. Great chefs are huge celebrities to us, and this was truly exciting. We sat down between two couples who were clearly enjoying the $140 tasting menu with $85 wine pairing, and we started to look over the menu.

Before we had decided what we wanted, the waitress came over with a bottle of Rose Champagne. She popped it, put it on our table and said "Happy Birthday, Love Mom." How sweet! Patrick's mom had sent a bottle of champagne to our table for his birthday. Thanks again Mrs. Patty & Mr. George, it was delicious! The bottle was a mix of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and it went perfectly with our meal.

Speaking of our meal. We decided to split 2 appetizers: The first was aerated foie with pickled beet, mashed plum & brioche. The texture of the foie was incredible, much like that of a chocolate mousse. When you took a bite with all the elements on the plate together, the taste was like nothing I'd ever had before.

The second appetizer we shared was the Peekytoe crab roll with salt ‘n vinegar chips & celery mayonnaise. Again, the taste was out of this world. The color of the celery mayo was incredible. The salt 'n vinegar chips added just the right texture and flavor to the crab roll. Patrick and I would take a bite of one of the appetizers and then trade plates until every last bite was gone. If our entrees were going to be anything like the appetizers, we were truly in for a treat.

For dinner I decided on the Duck breast with apple, cheddar & kimchee-cous cous while Patrick ordered the Iberico pork neck with smoked paprika spaetzle, peach & marcona almond. When they came out, I was pleasantly surprised at how large the portions were. Both dishes were cooked to perfection and smelled incredible. The dish with the broth is the duck, and the broth was a cheese-based broth (not butter, as I feared.) As we ate, we traded bites and marveled at how delicious it all tasted. Duck dishes I've had in the past have been both over-salted and rubbery, but this dish was both well-seasoned and very tender. I enjoyed every bite.

Patrick also seemed to love his pork dish, which I thought was one of the most delicious bites of pork I had ever tasted. The spaetzle was a delicious accompaniment to the meat, and the peach and almond added a nice flavor.

When we finished our dinner, we decided we had to try a dessert. As you know, dessert is a course I usually skip, but I already knew they were bringing out a candle for Patrick's birthday so I decided I would split something with him. I let him pick, and he chose the Hazelnut tart with coconut, chocolate & chicory. The dessert was actually more salty than it was sweet, so even I enjoyed it!

When we had finished the last bite, we thought the night couldn't get any better. That was until the waitress took us back into the kitchen to meet Wylie Dufresne himself! Amazing! He was so nice and humble, and it truly made the night one that neither of us will ever forget.

Happy Birthday, Patrick! I can't wait to go back and try the amazing tasting menu!

What is the #1 restaurant you're dying to try? If you could meet any chef, who would it be? My next goal is to meet Tom Colicchio, my favorite chef!

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie

Brunch Spots: The Bluebell Cafe

When I wake up on the weekends, the only thing I can think of is a big plate of eggs, potatoes & bacon. I like The Bluebell Cafe because it feels like home, and the food tastes like home.

The staff is friendly, the decor is very comfortable & inviting and the food is really good. When Patrick and I went a few weekends ago, I ordered the Bluebell Breakfast for $13.00.

It comes with two eggs any way (I got them sunny-side up), bacon, Cumberland sausage, buttermilk biscuit and potatoes. I don't know about you, but I'm a sucker for biscuits, and the one at Bluebell doesn't disappoint. My eggs were perfectly runny, the bacon was crispy and the french fry-like potatoes were delicious. The breakfast also comes with a few pieces of fresh fruit, which makes quite a lot of food for $13. The breakfast also comes with a fresh-squeezed OJ.

Strangely enough, while we were sitting eating our food, a man ran into the restaurant, went into the kitchen, and ran out a few seconds later with the fire extinguisher. It turns out that awning over the store next door had caught on fire, and this man was just walking by when he noticed the fire. Acting quickly, he ran into our restaurant to get the fire extinguisher, and then went and put the fire out before the fire department arrived. That day I had my eggs with a side of excitement!

Has anything exciting or unusual ever happened while you've been out at a restaurant?

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie

FoodParc: A Gourmet Food Court

When I heard that there was going to be a new restaurant in Chelsea that puts a gourmet spin on the food court theme, I have to admit that I was a little skeptical. Visions of MSG-laden Chinese food & 3,000-calorie Cinnabons danced in my head.

I asked my friend Sarah to meet me at FoodParc (6th Ave between 29th & 30th) last night because I wanted to see it for myself. She loves food like I do, so it was an easy sell. From the minute we walked in the door, our mouths were hanging open in delight & surprise.

First of all, there were so many things to choose from! Sandwiches, salads, delicious-looking Asian-fusion dishes, smoothies, coffee, even a bar! I was instantly excited. Then we realized that for the actual ordering, you use a touch-screen computer with a built-in credit card machine. Cool! Once we made our selections (a process that took no less than 20 minutes) we paid for the food. I ordered half of an Eggplant Parmesan sandwich & a shrimp eggroll, and it only cost $9! That was a very pleasant surprise.

I then opted to receive a text message when my food was ready. Sarah & I took our receipts and watched as our order numbers appeared on a giant TV screen. Once my order was ready, I instantly received a text message and they called out my number for pick-up. Talk about efficient!

Once we had our lovely bags of food, we went to sit by the window. I opened the boxes and was delighted to find that the food looked incredibly delicious.

And it was! It truly tasted as good as it looked. Both dishes were piping hot and not the least bit greasy. The egg roll was crunchy and flavorful while the sandwich was cheesy and delicious. The only downside to the entire meal was that the tomato sauce on the sandwich was just a tad bit too sweet for my taste, but it still tasted so good!

I am very excited to visit this restaurant many more times to try everything on the menu. I noticed there was a build-your-own burger station that also had not only a BLT menu, but a grilled cheese menu as well. This place is too good to be true!

What is your opinion on one-stop shop dining? Do you prefer restaurants that stick to just one thing, or do you like this "food court-style" dining trend? If you live in NYC, have you tried FoodParc yet? Do you plan to? I'll definitely be returning.

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie

Adventures in Cooking: Italian

Living in NYC makes it very difficult to find the motivation to cook. Being Lactose Intolerant and extremely allergic to butter is often the one thing that pushes me to cook, because most delicious dishes use butter.

One meal that I absolutely love is Chicken, Broccoli, Ziti with Garlic Bread, but there is usually a stick of butter in each serving, and the pasta is sometimes also loaded with heavy cream.

But not this time.

I told Patrick (my boyfriend) that I would be making dinner a few nights ago, but that he had to be okay with "fake butter." Because he's awesome, he didn't mind at all, so I stopped at Trader Joe's to buy all the ingredients.

Here is the recipe I used:
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white wine
1/3 cup olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken
1 bunch broccoli
1 pound box ziti
5 cloves garlic, minced
grated Romano cheese

Directions
Melt butter in deep skillet. Add oil and garlic. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Add wine and bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium low for 20 minutes. Cut broccoli into small bite size pieces and steam in microwave for 8 minutes. Cut chicken into thin bite size pieces and cook in the butter, garlic and oil. Remove chicken when done and saute broccoli in butter, garlic and oil for 5 minutes. Sprinkle broccoli with Romano cheese. Add cooked ziti with broccoli and chicken, and add more Romano cheese.

Of course, I substituted Smart Balance Light Original Buttery Spread in place of the butter because it is dairy-free. After tasting the food, you'd never even know.

Below is a picture of the result. As you may already know, I can't live without cheese. Thankfully it doesn't affect me the way butter does, so of course I covered both the garlic bread and the pasta with tons of cheese.

I could have taken the garlic bread out of the oven a few seconds earlier, but I actually really enjoyed how crunchy it came out.

After the meal, I thankfully didn't feel sick at all. Just full & happy. Do you ever substitute ingredients when you cook? Is it for health reasons? Allergies? Can you even taste the difference? I can't wait to try some more recipes that call for butter and trying this delicious non-dairy substitute again. The recipe made so much pasta that Patrick and I both had it again the next day for lunch. Yum!

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie

Eating Our Way Through Boston

If you know me at all, you know it's no secret that Boston is my favorite city. While the food in NYC really is incredible, Beantown will always edge out The Big Apple in my heart (the fact that both cities have nicknames with food in them is not lost on me, either).

Last weekend, my boyfriend Patrick and I took a trip up to Boston to enjoy the sights and some of the local cuisine. Our meals included the following highlights.

Dinner at Sonsie on Newbury Street, a trendy, upscale place with good food and fabulous tables for people-watching, was delicious, and I had a great roasted chicken dish. The chicken was tender and juicy and the green beans on the side were crunchy and fresh. Whenever I go to Boston, I make it a point to dine at Sonsie.

A funny food fact about me is that I say I don't like onions, but I LOVE both Onion Rings & French Onion Soup! And I LOVE Abe & Louie's! Abe & Louie's is a steakhouse on Boylston Street in the Back Bay neighborhood in Boston, and it's one of my very favorite places. They make a mean French Onion Soup, so of course we had to stop by for lunch. All I can say is "Holy Cheese!" This is my favorite French Onion Soup of all time, and I'm sure you can see why.

The next stop on our food tour was Giacomo's in the North End, Boston's Little Italy. A meal at Giacomo's feels like a huge family-style Italian dinner with a real Italian family, and they have some of the best seafood/pasta dishes in the city. I opted for the Fusilli with Shrimp & Scallops in a white wine garlic sauce, which I promptly covered in Parmesan cheese (another fact about me if you haven't already figured it out: If it's covered in cheese, I LOVE IT!

Brunch isn't as big of a big deal in Boston as it is in New York, but Zaftig's in Brookline is truly wonderful. They serve incredible breakfast dishes all day, 7 days a week. We used to go all the time in college, and this time, it was just as good as I remembered. The highlight of our brunch? The potato pancakes with homemade apple sauce.

If you've read my previous post on the topic, you'd know that no trip to Boston is complete without a delicious plate of nachos at the Sunset. I've been telling Patrick about these particular nachos for awhile now, claiming that I have yet to find better nachos anywhere in New York. Don't believe me? Read all the other reviews at that link. These nachos are epic!

As you can see in the picture, these nachos are loaded with deliciousness. A perfect distribution of guacamole, melted cheese, sour cream, shredded lettuce & crispy chips surround a delicious, hot serving of chili underneath. My mouth is watering just looking at the picture! I think Patrick agreed how great these were.

Leave me some comments. What's your favorite food city? Why? I'd love to hear from you!

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie

Fabulous Food: BONDST

BONDST has been my favorite restaurant since before I even moved to NYC. Why? I could go on all day, but here are a few reasons:
1. The food is exceptional
2. The atmosphere is sexy & intimate
3. Their Restaurant Week menu is to die for
4. Did I mention the food already?

Upon my first visit to BONDST a few summers ago, I tasted the Spicy Crispy Shrimp and the Chilean Seabass Skewer. Both dishes are amazing, but the Chilean Seabass Skewer may very well be one of the most delicious dishes I have ever eaten in my life. That is a bold statement, as I have certainly eaten a LOT of dishes in my time, but one taste and most would agree.

I have been telling my boyfriend about this restaurant for probably the last year. We had our anniversary last week, so I thought there was no better place to celebrate than BONDST. Personally, I prefer to sit downstairs in the lounge where they don't take reservations because you can't get the Seabass Skewer in the main dining room upstairs. Such a shame!

We stepped inside, sat down and began drooling over the menu. We decided we'd order 3 hot appetizers and 3 sushi rolls. I, of course, took pictures of everything. We started off with...
The Spicy Crispy Shrimp

The Goat Cheese Crab Cakes

And The Chilean Seabass Skewers

All 3 dishes were delicious, but that skewer has a special place in my heart. My boyfriend completely agreed. He noted, "The fish is sweet & smokey at the same time, and it flakes apart as you eat it." I'm telling you, get yourself to BONDST, sit downstairs in the lounge, and order this dish.

The miso glaze on top of the fish truly is both sweet & smokey, and even the mixed greens that come on the side have a delicious, fresh taste. I am always glad the dish comes with 2 skewers, because as I mentioned in my Tapas post, I'm not the best at sharing...

The 3 sushi rolls we ordered were Hot Eel Dice (top), Sesame-Crusted Shrimp with Citrus Curry Dipping Sauce (middle) and Spicy Tuna (bottom)

The rolls were great! I used to love eel, but all it takes is one bad eel experience. I remember getting an eel avocado roll one day from a West Village sushi spot, and the eel was a horrible, hard consistency with a terrible taste. I was skeptical to ever order eel again. The Hot Eel Dice roll at BONDST changed everything. The meat is tender and full of delicious, rich flavor. My faith in eel has been restored.

Patrick and I each ordered a drink, neither were anything to write home about, but I don't go to BONDST for their cocktails. I can't wait to go back, and I can't wait for Winter Restaurant Week! I make it a point to stop at BONDST every time Restaurant Week comes around, and as often as I can in between.

If you live in NYC, have you ever eaten at BONDST? What did you think? What's your favorite restaurant? Leave comments, I'd love to hear from you!

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie

Overrated: Alta

Last week, some co-workers wanted to go out for tapas. The whole concept of tapas is a little foreign to me, as I'm not the best at sharing and I also like there to be a lot of food on my plate. Tapas force you to share, and you really only get 1 bite of the dish before it's gone. Regardless, a friend of mine had recently been to Alta in the West Village and liked it, so I decided to give it a try.

We walked in and I was, at the same time, pleasantly surprised by the warm, inviting atmosphere, and a little turned off by the smell of the place. It smelled like cleaning solution, but I quickly got used to it.

Then the waitress brought over the tapas menus, and my mouth began to water. All the dishes on the menu sounded so delicious. One of the other girls ordered 6 tapas to share between the 5 of us to start, and we each got a glass of sangria. I found the sangria to be too sweet, and not all that tasty. I hoped the food would be better.

We ordered Bacon-Wrapped Dates & Olives, Fried Goat Cheese, Crispy Brussels Sprouts, Grilled Shrimp & Chorizo Skewers, Pulled Pork Empanadas, and Black Truffle Gnocchi. I realize these are tapas, but when they came out, the portions were even smaller than I thought they would be. None of the dishes were anything special, and I even found the Gnocchi to be completely tasteless.

Of course we were still hungry after the first round, so we ordered Smoked Eggplant and Lebne Dip, Lamb Meatballs and Catalonian Flatbread. These were only a little better than the first round of tapas, but again, nothing special.

The real surprise came with the bill. This lackluster meal cost $200 without tip. I found this appalling, especially since the food was not good. I do not plan to return to Alta, and I do not recommend it to anyone.

What are your thoughts on tapas? Do you think they make a good meal for a larger group, or are they better for smaller groups? I'd be willing to try another tapas restaurant, but I would probably only go with 1 other person so I could get more than just 1 bite of each dish.

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie

The Best Salmon I've Ever Had

One of my very favorite restaurants in NYC is Extra Virgin in the West Village on the corner of Perry & West 4th. The food is fantastic, the atmosphere is great and they have an awesome wine list/drink menu. I've brought my boyfriend and friends to Extra Virgin, and this past Monday night, I brought my mom. Extra Virgin is also the home of The Best Salmon I've Ever Had.

My mom is what I like to call a "picky eater" because there are a lot of foods she just won't eat. She doesn't eat steak, she doesn't eat most pasta dishes, and she only sticks to what she enjoys, which includes salmon, chicken & meatball salad (don't ask). I have absolutely no idea how I am related to someone who isn't obsessed with food like I am, but I digress.

The first time ever I tried the salmon dish at Extra Virgin, I knew I had to bring my mom there, and I also knew that it was The Best Salmon I've Ever Had.

The fish is perfectly-cooked at "medium," and is accompanied by truffle mashed potatoes, grape tomatoes, sugar snap peas, frisée & a delightful red wine lobster sauce. I appreciate the fact that the sauce is under the fish, not poured over it. This allows you to dip the fish into the sauce and have only as much as you'd like. And not only is this dish delicious, but it's also very colorful and the presentation is just beautiful.

I was excited for my mom to try it, and as soon as she took her first bite, I knew I had made the right choice. She also agreed it was the best salmon she'd ever had.

I've probably been to Extra Virgin 10 times over the past few years, and I've only ever had the salmon. I know everything else is probably delicious, but it's just that good. I don't usually make a habit of only ordering one dish every time I return to a restaurant, but I worry that if I don't order the salmon, I'll immediately regret it.

How much does food presentation mean to you in the overall enjoyment of your meal? Do you tend to always order your "favorite" dish at a restaurant? Or do you like to always try something new?

I will continue to bring friends and family to Extra Virgin so that they too can try The Best Salmon I've Ever Had.

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie

Brunch Spots: Tavern on Jane

Before moving to New York City, I never knew how serious the art of "brunching" was. In Boston, we'd often eat eggs & pancakes in the afternoon because that was when we rolled out of bed, but I never knew that brunch was considered an art form until I became a New Yorker.

When I woke up yesterday, all I could think of was how badly I wanted some eggs & a good cup of coffee. A few of my friends just moved to the West Village, so we knew that was the neighborhood we wanted to eat in. We wandered around near their apartment and stopped into Cafe Cluny, but the wait for five was 20 minutes, so we decided to keep walking. I have heard great things about Cafe Cluny though, so I intend to go back.

That was when we happened upon Tavern on Jane, a cute little spot on the corner of Jane Street & 8th Ave.

While I hadn't ever eaten there, I heard they had a great menu and I'd always wanted to try it. After checking out the brunch list, we decided there were tons of great options, and since there was no wait for the five of us, we were sold.

Upon sitting down, we were greeted with a friendly welcome from our waiter as he handed out the menus. We were all starving and knew what we wanted, so all five of us immediately ordered the Tavern Breakfast Burrito that had eggs, chorizo, peppers, onions & sour cream. The waiter brought us our basket of (warm) pastries, as well the coffee & drinks included in the $14 breakfast special. I had a grapefruit juice mimosa that was delicious, while my friends had bloody marys & regular OJ mimosas.

The coffee was good, the water glasses were kept full (the waiter even brought us our own pitcher!) and then our food came out. The burritos smelled amazing, and they tasted even better. Each meal came with home fries and a fruit salad, so after all was said and done, we each got warm croissants & muffins, coffee, an alcoholic beverage, a burrito, home fries and fruit salad for just $14. The restaurant was quite empty for a Sunday afternoon, but we were happy to have a corner to ourselves, and all five of us cleaned our plates. I will be back to Tavern on Jane for brunch again.

What are you favorite brunch spots in NYC? What is the longest you've ever had to wait for a table for brunch? Was it worth it? I look forward to hearing about your favorite places so I can try them out myself.

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie

Adventures in Cooking: Lobster!

Don't get me wrong, I love going out to eat more than anything, but sometimes, there's nothing like some good home-cookin'. Last weekend, I went to the Jersey Shore (fist pump!) with some of my girlfriends, and on our way home my friend Lauren wanted to stop at The Point Lobster Co. to buy some fresh fish. My first thought was "I am not riding in a car with a bunch of stinky fish for an hour." But then I went inside the store.

Not only did this place have all kinds of amazing fresh fish, but the prices were very reasonable. I'm used to $13.99/lb. for Salmon in NYC, but Salmon at The Point was only $9.99/lb. As I debated what fish I could bring home to cook for dinner, I saw some amazing lobster tails for only $6 each. When I inquired about them, the guy behind the counter pointed to a bunch of 1-1/2 to 2 lb. bright red (meaning already cooked) lobsters for only $4 each!

After thinking about it for a few minutes, I decided that the already-cooked lobsters would be a great "Intro to Making Lobsters" for my boyfriend and me, especially because I am terrified of live lobsters and the thought of cooking them myself completely creeps me out. I picked up 2 large lobster with well-sized claws & 1/2-lb. of fresh scallops for dinner.

While I was on my way back to NYC from the Jersey Shore, my boyfriend went to buy some vegetables to make with the seafood, and when I got home he started making magic in the kitchen. I'd love to say that I helped make dinner, but I wasn't feeling well, and he managed to create the following menu all by himself:
-Baked Lobsters
-Pan-Seared Scallops
-Wild Rice
-Steamed Spinach
-Cherry Tomatoes with Squash and Zucchini
-Haricot Verts with Garlic and Lemon

Yum!!

What's your favorite kind of food to cook? Do live lobsters (or crabs) creep you out, or are you okay cooking them yourself?

The lobsters were delicious, and it was fun teaching my boyfriend how to crack them open (he's from Maryland, and his specialty is crab-cracking.) The scallops were some of the best I've ever had. I look forward to visiting The Point Lobster Co. again for more delicious, fresh fish.

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie