On a Mission for the best burger..

I don't know if I will ever be able to pick a Number One burger. But this is in the top 5 just for menu creativity.
BLT Burger, 470 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10011-8400
They also change up their specialty burger option..like the Porkenaytor..Juicy beef burger topped with bacon, pulled port, lettuce, tomato and fried onion strings. Sounds like a heart attack, but what a way to go! One of the most delicious waffle fries too. Their great selection of beers makes it a cool place to hang with a small crew. Eat, Drink, and Be Merry!

The Burger Joint

The little-known spot in the Le Parker Meridien New York 119 West 56th Steet, New York, NY 10019. Tucked away down a hallway off the main lobby, this little gem is a perfect lunch spot or great goto after that 5 o'clock siren! Just burgers and fries but what else do you need?? An excellent grill mark and juicy bite. Funky atmosphere and musical background. Everyone is happy in here just thinking about what is about to grace their palate. Then you can burn it off by walking through the park or shopping on 5th ave. It's a must-eat!

This is how you know you're there! Awesome..

Im Baaaaa-aaaack!

Ok...school, work lots to do I had to take a break..but I missed it too much so here I am. Lots of catching up to do. Lets start with a few home-cooked fiestas...
I tested out a winter inspired meal in February.

Soft Polenta with Mushroom Ragu and truffle oil. Just a couple pics. This dish was seasonally delicious and super easy..layers of flavor, which is exactly my style.  Sweet tomato, porcini mushroom, red wine, and fresh thyme. Hearty and comforting spooned over soft, creamy polenta. Drizzle a touch of truffle oil for a little added decadence.  Perfecto!
Next, my lil bro, Bobby Ravioli came back with a vengeance!  Pizza night. It felt like we were in Italy. The pictures say it all..but I will give a mouth-watering description below.

Started off with simple..big tomato flavor, fresh garlic, and olive oil. A touch a basil perfectly compliments the tomato flavor. The simplicity works well here, allowing you to taste the actual pizza crust.

 Ok so this one above was a fresh take on Mozzarella and Tomato with Fresh Basil. Very light with a crispy crust and a drizzling of balsamic glaze. Freshtastic!

 A sweet finish..Gorgonzola, a touch of Mozzarella and fig jam. The perfect melody of flavors..Bellisimo!

Go Bobby Ravioli!

my impromptu foccacia

eXo

I got word from my Cypriot connection, Bill and Flora, to check out this fairly new Greek spot in Whitestone (1515-16 149th Street, http://www.exorestaurant.com/). My friends never steer me wrong. So I made a reservation for myself and a friend who lived in Greece while in the Navy. He loved the food there but hasn't found an equivalent here. We decided to do it up right! Flora, who knows the Chef Constantine Kalandranis, gave him the heads up that we wanted to try all the specialties. We walked into a cozy and welcoming atmosphere, yet it held a simple elegance. We were able to meet Chef Constantine, who was very gracious, and set up a 6 course tasting menu for us. We began with a lobster bisque topped with what I believe was a little dollop of greek yogurt, lovely texture and slightly tangy. This was accompanied by a traditional style greek horiatiki salad with feta, cucumber, tomato, and olives, simple and fresh. Next we had a trio of dishes: prawns over a little goat cheese mashed potato, grilled octopus (this was our favorite), and grilled halloumi cheese. This was followed by a selection of homemade spreads and pita, homemade fingerling potato chips, and mini lamb meatballs and greek-style chicken wings. The classic spreads included: skorthalia (potato-garlic), taramosalata (a creamy puree with fish roe), Tzatziki (cucumber-yogurt), Htipiti (feta and roasted red pepper), Melitzanosalata (eggplant), and Hummus. WOW. We were enjoying all this with a nice, slightly crisp Chardonnay. Yes there is more. Homemade feta ravioli with garlic and oil and herbs. For the main course, probably one of the most excellent choices and most popular, a grilled whole Branzino. Last but definitely not least was dessert, a selection of greek specialties: Rizogalo (rice pudding), Galactoboureko (custard pie), and yogurt icecream covered in fried phyllo.  Everything was perfectly plated and the service was excellent. Thank you Zee. You have to go and try it for yourself. It was really one of the top culinary experiences of my life. And they hold cooking classes on Mondays! Fun! Maybe I will see you there. ..Sas ef̱charistó̱, Chef Constantine! Kalí̱ órexi̱!
(Please note: I apologize if I have misspelled or misquoted any words, let me know of any corrections)

Winegasm

1-7-11....Winegasm... it sure is. Recommended by a friend in the wine biz, I finally checked it out for a late night glass of wine. It was cold outside but you would never know inside this spirited oasis in Astoria (31-86 37th st, http://winegasmeatery.com/). It was suggested that we try the sommelier pick of the week, a pinot noir from California. For the life of me I can't remember the name. Which is unusual for me, but perhaps because my friend and I were so engaged in conversation with one of the owners and the man tending bar that night, Dean. I will find out when I go there next, as it was one of the more enjoyable pinot noirs I have had. A little fuller on the palate, complex, yet still light and fruity. A real gem of a place, it was a little quiet at 1:30 am due to the weather, but that was fine by me because we got to learn a lot more about the place. Dean noted he had a much earlier crowd that night. I liked the large community table in the center, which says to me, great company can be met here. Also some smaller tables and seats at the bar for a more intimate encounter. The atmosphere is inviting and even enchanting. We spoke to Dean about his menu and wine list. He noted that he chooses some organic wines and those that are perhaps lesser known, he looks for really interesting varietals and vintners. The menu looked really interesting, unfortunately it was too late in the night to get into food. But I will be back so expect another entry on this one!

wine...one of my true loves

Yaffa Cafe, an oldie but goodie

Yaffa Cafe, located on St. Marks Place btw 1st ave and Ave A. First time I went here I was about 15! Its still great. It's not a big place but what it doesn't have in space it definitely makes up for it with reputation and personality. Delicious vegetarian choices, fresh organic ingredients, and some really interesting dishes. For example, an appetizer, stacked thick slices of eggplant layered with mozzarella, fresh tomato, pesto, and a sprinkling of feta cheese on the plate. Simple and fresh and totally yummy. It was a special dish. I had a delicious piece of grilled salmon in a lemon chive butter sauce. My friend had the seafood tortellini special. Two glasses of pinot grigio and it was a great meal with great company.

quickie

Sushi Lounge, one of my new fav spots. Great location and great prices, fresh sushi. Located on St Marks and Ave A.

Vino 313

12-4-10...Another spot that has been on my "to do" list. I love checking out these random finds. I am really over the large commercial spots. Why go for the same old stuff when you can have innovation right at your fingertips? AND you don't even have to withdraw from your 401k to have it. It's New York, a melting pot of flavor, opportunity, creativity, and competition. And it's a sinful shame not to take advantage and live it up! Any-hooser, moving on, I knew Vino 313 (With a name derived from its location at 31st Street and 3rd Avenue, http://www.vino313.com) would have a decent wine selection, and boy did they! But I was pleasantly surprised at the menu and quality of the food that crossed my palate that night. Talk about a gastronomical experience. I didn't take pics on this one, sorry, but only because I didn't want to ruin the soothing ambiance with my flash. So put on your imagination caps for this one and come away with me. I started with a Tempranillo Codice Tierra de Castilla 2007, tempranillo is one of my favorites and this one was well done. My company had a Peroni on tap, which is nice because you don't see that too often on tap, but a great Italian beer.  First course was salad. I chose the Baked Apple Salad. Even the presentation was creative. Slices of prosciutto on the plate, topped with micro greens, a nice gorgonzola cheese, and baked apple slices. These had to done with a balsamic glaze and a touch of cinnamon, maybe allspice. Tender but still with body. The sweet and salty and all the textures were in harmony. My company had a goat cheese salad. Again presented well, the goat cheese smeared in a little peak on the plate and topped with mixed greens and roasted butternut squash. The dressings were light and refreshing on both, just the way I like it, it shouldn't be soup. You could taste the true flavor of each ingredient. Next we shared two entrees, Homemade Gnocchi with a Butternut Squash Sauce. Creamy yet light, flavor of sage, delicate little gnocchi bites---in the top 3 gnocchi dishes that I have had. By the way, I love when a restaurant incorporates the flavors of the season. If you look at their menu now it probably won't be there, they also seem to change it up often--I love that too. The next dish was Seared Hanger Steak with Spinach and Gorgonzola. Perfectly put together. The steak was tender and cooked to perfection, with the natural flavor of the meat and juices mingling with the other players in this dish. The spinach, simple, yet overcooked by many, was just right. And accompanied with a slice of a nice imported gorgonzola on the plate that gently melted under the hot steak. With flavors like this and reasonable prices you can't go wrong.
And at this time of year, you can visit the Rockefeller Christmas Tree (not too far away) if you are feeling nostalgic. Or even just hang around for another glass of wine. Also to note, this spot is great for a small bite and wine, they serve a nice selection of antipasti, cheese, and charcuterie. Buon Appetito!

Sofrito es el sabor!

11-14-10....So, I finally get to Sofrito. I've been dying to go. Why? Because they have classic dishes and since my mom doesn't cook Pernil I have to go out to get it (that is until I learn how to make it). But the dishes are really done well, packed with traditional flavors. The atmosphere is nice and so are the pitchers of sangria! With crisp, white table cloths, modern decor, and great music, I felt a great energy.  So my Puerto Rican-Jewish connection and I went to test it out. Approved! I would totally go back even with a group because dishes are great for sharing. We started with the Meljillones en caldo de cilantro y chroizo (mussels cooked in a cliantro and chorizo broth). Served with toasted bread to soak up the sauce. Perfectly delicious. I could have eaten it all myself but I had to save room for the pernil because you know that goes down. Rich and delicious but you gotta have room. So for the main course we shared the Paella, Pernil, and sweet plaintains. The Paella was stuffed with chicken on the bone, lobster tails, shrimps, clams, mussels, and calamari. A meal in itself. All I can say is yummy. It was a lot of food for two but that was ok because I had plenty of leftovers to take to my dad. A big fan. The pictures will do a lot of the talking but ultimately you must get there to taste for yourself. And even stay for a little dancing! 

mmmm. enough said..

stumble upons...

11-11-10 First of all...sorry for the gap between entries! I got busy! School and then the holidays but I kept all my notes and pics..
Thank goodness for Google maps! Its like a girl's best friend when it comes to an impromptu need to choose a place to eat or hang for a couple drinks. This is how I stumbled upon Nocello (257 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019, 212-713-0224, http://www.nocello.net/). This great spot serves fine northern Italian cuisine in a simple, yet warm setting. The service was excellent and the menu enticing. They always have a nice set of specials (and lunch specials!) and you can taste the homemade flavors in every bite. I had the homemade ravioli special of the day, a seafood ravioli striped with spinach and plain pasta filled with crab and shrimp in a light and creamy vodka sauce. The ravioli was topped with succulent pieces of shrimp in the sauce. I also had a wonderfully fresh salad, Capra Pazza: goat cheese salad over arugula and cherry tomatoes and crostini. My company had the Insalata Nocello: mesclun salad with toasted walnuts, gorgonzola cheese and green apples, also very good. For her main course she chose the Tortellini alla Nonna: cheese tortellini with pink sauce, mushrooms & peas. Delicious! The dishes are simple but full of flavor. Definitely worth going back to, especially because I had my eye on the Pappardelle Nocello: homemade pappardelle with lamb ragu. Oh, and don't forget to end the meal with an excellent cappuccino and homemade dessert. We shared the Italian ricotta cheesecake. I am pretty picky when it comes to cheesecake but this one was thoroughly enjoyable. Reminiscent of my grandfather's recipe. What are you waiting for?? Check it out!

a little seasoned olives and crusty bread

Not the best picture because I was so excited to eat it I almost forgot to take it!

Lovely. And when I noted that, the server said don't break my heart. lol very cute...