November 18, 2014 Vendome Macaron
While we were in NY at Smorgasburg, we stumbled upon Vendome Macaron. Their super bright and bold desserts caught our eye. Vendome can recreate any color you would like for your special order ($10). We tried the French vanilla bean, strawberry, nutella, pumpkin pie, Italian pistachio and lemon meringue pie. The first bite into the crispy, crunchy shell proved that the macarons were light as air.
Did you know that macarons are naturally gluten free? They’re made with almond flour and Vendome uses Kosher coloring that is plant based.
So who are the ladies behind these macarons? Adriana Troli, Executive Pastry Chef; Betzabeth Toledo, Chef de Cuisine; and Taryn Garcia, President and Pastry Chef. Adriana, a protégé of Christian Le Squer’s 3 Star Michelin Restaurant, Ledoyan in Paris, France. Adriana comes from Caracas, Venezuela and has a Bachelors in Law from The Catholic University in Caracas. She began her career as a Private Chef to famed artist, Carlos Cruz-Diez in Paris, France. Betza, apprenticed to empresario and Celebrity television Chef, Sumito Estevez. Under Chef Estevez, Betza learned the newest cooking and pastry methods from Venezuela’s top chef. Taryn began her career as a food stylist working on Food Network’s “Barefoot Contessa”, and Martha Stewart’s “Everyday Food”. After studying at France’s premier culinary school, “Ecole Supérieure de Cuisine Française: Gregoire Ferrandi”. Chef Taryn went on to train with Chef Arnaud Larher, recipient of France’s most coveted artisan award (MOF) Meilleur Ouvrier de France.
Vendome Macaron
http://www.vendomemacaronnyc.com/
You can find Vendome macarons at Smorgasburg on Saturdays and Sundays, at Saks Fifth Avenue at the Cafe SnACKS Fifth Floor and at Bacchus at 409-411 Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn.
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November 17, 2014 Momofuku Milk Bar
While we were waiting for our table at Momofuku Noodle Bar, we decided to take a walk over to the Milk Bar a few blocks away. Dessert before dinner? You bet. So we try the cereal milk shake which was tasty, not quite as sweet as I thought it would taste – more like cornflakes, less like sugary milk.
And how could you pass up the birthday cake truffles (3 for $4.35)? Can’t make it to NY? You can make them at home. Follow this recipe from their website.
Momofuku Milk Bar
251 E. 13th Street, New York, NY
Tags: celebrity chef, dessert, new york, trips
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November 14, 2014 The Farmhouse Tap & Grill
Some posts get away from me. This post on the Farm House Tap and Grill would be one of them. We went to Vermont in the summer for a long weekend vacation and this post never made it to getting published with all the rest. We went on a great sailboat ride on Lake Champlain – a 2 hour ride was $40 per person and we could bring our own food and booze.
Some of us (I won’t name names) were still hungry after the boat ride, so we headed over to the Farm House – a restaurant just up the street. A gentleman on the boat ride said that he went there a few nights earlier and had one of the best meals (read: onion rings) of his life.
Crispy Onion Rings ($7.95) served with horseradish aioli. They were good – thick and cripy, but were they life changing? Not for us.
House Mac ‘N Cheese ($15.95) came with local cheeses, caramelized onions, and herb bread crumbs. A really rich and creamy dish – I couldn’t finish it in one sitting.
Vermont Heritage Grazers Pork Burger ($16.95) served with Cabot cheddar, a sunny side up farm egg, and coleslaw. A big hit at the table, because really, who doesn’t love a burger with a fried egg on top!?!
Farmhouse Meatloaf ($23.95) LaPlatte Farm beef & VT Heritage Grazers pork, whipped potatoes, roasted local veggies, mushroom gravy was a big hit. The dish really reminded us of fall. The meatloaf was flavorful and the local veggies made you feel ok about consuming that much meat.
The 20-Hour Beef Shoulder ($26.95) braised dry aged LaPlatte Farm beef shoulder, arugula, Nitty Gritty polenta, shaved fennel, salsa verde.
Service was a little on the scattered side – the restaurant was packed even though it was later in the evening (we had to wait an hour to be seated).
The Farmhouse Tap and Grill
160 Bank Street, Burlington, VT
Tags: burger, casual dining, restaurant, vermont
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November 13, 2014 Shanghai Gate
I haven’t been to this area since I was in college, heading out to Great Scott for “Ladies 80’s Night”. My friend told me that we should check out Shaghai Gate because the food was excellent and so were the prices. Parking was a bit difficult at the meters on the street, so take public transportation if you can. We ordered the sauteed rice cake with chicken, pork and shrimp ($9.50). I’ve never had rice cake noodles in this shape before, but really liked the texture of them. The meat was a little sparse in this dish but I loved the sauce.
My friend went with the good old standby, General Gao’s chicken ($10.95). The dish was light with just a little bit of sweetness to it. At the end of the meal we felt full and had plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day. Service was a bit spotty at moments, so perhaps next time we try take out.
Shanghai Gate
204 Harvard Ave., Brighton, MA
http://shanghaigateboston.com/
Tags: casual dining, chinese, restaurant
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November 12, 2014 Woods Hole Inn
I was invited down to Woods Hole to have dinner at Quick’s Hole Tavern and then spend the night at the Woods Hole Inn. See my post on dinner here. While I have been summering down in Falmouth for over a decade now, I have to admit that I never knew there was a charming B&B right in Woods Hole. So excited to have the opportunity to check this place out!
The inn is conveniently located right across from the ferry that takes you over to Martha’s Vineyard – a prime location in the summer months. The inn offers complimentary breakfast with your stay, as well as free wifi and free parking. The front desk is open from 9am-7pm, and should you plan to arrive outside of those times, you can contact the hotel and make arrangements.
We stayed in room 11 – a “premium king” room that goes for $355 in season. The room features a king sized bed and a spacious private bath. Let’s talk about the luxury linens on the bed, they were super soft!
The decor is just charming and the room is spacious. Some rooms even have their own private balconies. It was pretty quiet as it was off season (we had to drive to Falmouth to find a bar that was open), the area is bustling in the summer! While the Cape in the summer is beautiful, I think my favorite time to head there is in the fall!
The inn now offers in room massage on Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoons in select guest rooms ($95 per 45 minute session).
The rain shower was a nice feature in the bathroom. Again, the decor was simple and elegant – there was a great attention to detail, right down to the coordinating starfish soaps.
The inn features Gilchrist and Soames products.
Since I came in late and left very early, I didn’t have a chance to meet any of the staff at the inn. I was able to chat at bit at dinner with Beth Colt, owner of the inn and the Quick’s Hole restaurants, and she is just lovely. So head on down to the Cape and stay at the inn or have a great meal at Quick’s Hole – you won’t be disappointed!
Have you stayed at the Woods Hole Inn or eaten at the Quick’s Hole restaurants? Let me know, I’d love to hear about your experience!
Woods Hole Inn
28 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA
Disclaimer: My room at the Woods Hole Inn was provided to me at no cost. All opinions are my own.
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November 11, 2014 Pastoral
Pastoral opened in April of this year, the big draw being the wood fired oven. I’ve heard the space called “industrial farmhouse” which seems to be fitting. They have a great communal high top table near the kitchen, great for groups!
We started off with the wood fired garlic knot ($7.50) drizzled with olive oil.
The pizzas are personal sized – probably the diameter of a large dinner plate. The pepperoni ($15) with fresh mozzarella and crushed tomatoes. I love the crust on the pizza. They offer all the pizzas on the menu as a gluten free option for an additional $2.
The fennel sausage ($16) with buffalo mozzarella and fromage blanc was delicious with a little kick to it.
Pasta comes in full and half portions, I had a half portion of the ricotta dumplings ($14) that came with lobster and corn. The dumplings were light as air and the corn gave the dish a little bit of a sweetness to that I really enjoyed.
I also had a half portion of the mezzi rigatoni ($11) with bolognese sauce. Good, but it was no Sportello.
For dessert we went with the buttermilk chocolate chip cookies that we served warm. They were amazing.
And the nutella pizza sprinkled with powdered sugar and topped with fresh berries. The fresh berries helped with the richness of the nutella – very decadent! All in all a great casual meal out with friends with good food and good service.
Pastoral
345 Congress Street, Boston, MA
$5 validated parking after 5pm at the 17 Farnsworth Street garage
Tags: bolognese, casual dining, fort point, gluten free, pizza, restaurant
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November 10, 2014 Morganstern’s
I recently spent the weekend in NYC and met up with my co-worker (and fellow foodie) Cathleen for dinner. She suggested that at some point during the weekend to head to NOLITA and try out Morganstern’s Finest Ice Cream.
A modern take on the classic ice cream shop, Morganstern’s serves up some of the most delicious small batch ice cream I’ve had in a while. They have eclectic flavors like burnt honey vanilla, Szechuan peppercorn chocolate, green tea pistachio, banana curry, fernet black walnut, and raspberry aperol sobet to name a few.
The peanut butter picoso’s was rich – a bold flavor without being over the top. Morganstern’s does not use eggs in their ice cream and they use relatively low sugar and low butterfat. So what is their secret? All natural ingredients and fine attention to detail when they are making the ice cream.
I had the peppermint vanilla, not to be confused with that oh so sweet pink peppermint ice cream or candy. I like to think of it as peppermint ice cream for adults! The ice cream is…sophisticated.
There is plenty of seating inside, whether at the counter or at the bench along the wall, as well as a bench outside if the weather permits.
Morganstern’s
2 Rivington Street, New York, NY
http://www.morgensternsnyc.com/
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November 7, 2014 Row 34
Row 34 opened in late 2013 in the Fort Point neighborhood and has been on fire ever since. The restaurant is part of a group that runs Eastern Standard, Island Creek Oyster Bar, The Hawthorne and the upcoming Row 34 Portsmouth, New Hampshire. My friend Conor was moving back to Texas and we wanted to try this place out before he left.
We opted for a one of everything kind of meal, it was all about sharing. I ordered the shrimp buccatini, the pasta was perfectly al dente and the shrimp were enormous.
We also had a warm buttered lobster roll ($25) that did not disappoint. Additionally you can order the lobster roll in the traditional creamy style.
And the onslaught of appetizers ($7) continues: the 242 fries, cornbread with maple butter and the corn with bacon. I think the corn side was my favorite – it felt light but had some really bold flavors.
Pictured again, the fries (which were a little too thick cut for my liking) and the corn with the addition of the old bay onion rings ($7) which were stringy think and delicious.
The steamers were also a big hit at our table – the extra bread was key to finishing up all of that good broth! Service was on point for the night, and even though it was late on a Sunday night, the place was packed! To make a reservation, check them out on Reserve.
Row 34
383 Congress Street, Boston, MA
Tags: fort point, outdoor seating, restaurant, seafood
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November 6, 2014 Momofuku Noodle Bar
The first seating for dinner at Momofuku Noodle Bar is at 5:30pm. We arrive at 5:40 and we miss the first seating – come back in an hour they say. So we pop over to the Milk Bar around the corner to pick up some treats while we wait. The restaurant is packed and it is mostly counter and communal style dining – although there are a few regular two tops. The noise level can get a bit high here, so if you are looking for a quiet romantic evening, you may want to look elsewhere.
I ordered the momofuku ramen with pork belly, pork shoulder and a poached egg – just what I needed on this chilly evening.
My friend Cathleen says it’s all about the non noodle dishes here, and man is she right! The shrimp and grits app hit it out of the park for us. The dish was served with bacon, scallion and a poached egg. I loved the creamy textures in this dish.
And just for fun we had the small green tea slushie. Service was good and we sat at the bar which gave us a great view of the open kitchen.
Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 1st Ave, New York, NY
http://momofuku.com/new-york/noodle-bar/
Tags: asian, casual dining, new york, restaurant
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November 5, 2014 Quick’s Hole Tavern: A Journey Through Portugal
Last week I was invited to attend a dinner at Quick’s Hole Tavern. I had been to Quick’s Hole Taqueria, but never the tavern. To be honest, I didn’t even know it existed, and it’s right around the corner! Lucky for me, I was able to sit with my friend and fellow foodie Saba and her friend Michelle. We laughed the night away – such a lovely evening with good friends and good food.
Executive Chef Stephanie Mikolazyk took us on a culinary journey through Portugal and explained each course as we went.
First course was the Caledo Verde, a kale and chourico soup that was paired with Cruzeiro Vinho Verde, Portugal 2013. A great way to start off the meal – the soup had bold flavors!
Second course was the Pasteis de Bacalhau, or cod fish cake paired with Travessia Chardonnay, New Bedford Mass, 2013. The dish was simple and light – not too fishy.
The third course was the Camarao Mozambique – or spicy shrimp. This dish strayed from the traditional version as it was served with grits instead of the traditional rice. I really enjoyed this dish and all the textures – probably my favorite of the evening. It was paired with a Travessia Reisling, New Bedford, Mass 2013. Why a reisling? The residual sugars in the wine should balance any spiciness that comes from the shrimp – usually the dish is made with hot Spanish paprika or piri piri peppers imported from Africa.
The fourth course was a Portuguese bitoque steak, marinated steak and eggs paired with saffron potatoes and roasted tomatoes. It was paired with MC Colhetia “duoro” tinto, Portugal 2010 which had a nice acidity to it.
The next to last course was carne de porco a alentejana, a very traditional Portuguese dish – pork and clams with roasted vegetables in a sauce made with paprika, onions and butter. This was paired with a Herdad de Gambia Tinto, Setubal Penninsula, Portugal 2012. It was a fruitful wine with low tannins, a syrah blend that paired nicely with the pork.
For dessert, we had Sonho de creme – a homemade doughnut with a lemon custard which was fantastic. It was paired with a W&J Tawny Port.
Quick’s Hole Tavern
29 Railroad Ave., Falmouth, MA
http://www.quicksholewickedfresh.com/tavern/
Disclaimer: Quick’s Hole Tavern provided me with a complimentary dinner. All opinions are my own.
Tags: cape cod, casual dining, events, restaurant
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