Luke's Lobster!!! and Caracas again? ish

Ok, so me and Mona felt like going out again and since eating was definitely involved I have a strict policy of onl trying new things. Being as time was against us, other plans fell through and we decided on Luke's Lobster/Caracas. We would split Luke's famous lobster roll and in case that sucked, Caracas was right next door. A perfect plan! So we got the stuff and sat down. On to the lobster roll first.

Yes y'all. That was the actual size. The thing was small! And it came out to 16 bucks! This honestly was like i dunno 5/6 bites! I had to have an accurate picture so you wouldn't be deceived. I get it. Lobster is expensive. But that being said and the size being so small, you would expect more. I mean, I liked the soft, buttery bread and the lobster was very lobster-y and good but like it tasted like lobster and bread honestly. I wanted more flavor out of it but that's what we got. Not bad, but definitely not worth $16. On to the backup and much better Caracas. We decided that after the arepa de pabellon ( already written about) and this half we were still hungry so we got the Arepa de pollo.

 So this came with grilled chicken, caramelized onions, and cheddar cheese. Gotta say, it doesn't beat the arepa de pabellon, then again, nothing has yet. It was ok though. I thought that the caramelized onions were unneccesary, it was good just with chicken and cheese but it was in there so ok. The cheddar was sharp and went really well with the chicken and caramelized onion was sweet. Note to self, stick with what's good: the arepa de pabellon.

Motorino!!!

I was hanging out with Megan today shopping in the city. She was on a quest to find leggings and sweatpants so we went from store to store in search of them. Hours of shopping later, we were hungry and being in the 14st area, we went to Motorino's. They are known for making some really good pizza and after having been there myself, I can say that they do. We ordered the Margherita Pizze with tomato, mozzarella buffala, and basil.

Mmmmmmm. It was pretty good. I had never tried neapolitan pizza before, I grew up eating NY style pizza and I like it! I kept thinking, "Where's the CHEESE?!!!" but it's ok, this pizza was still good without that much cheese. I loved that the crust was pretty thin. It had a nice char on it and I realized that I kinda like the taste of char. I had it before on some bread a few days ago and I have grown to like the taste. It's not burned where you're like ew, I can't eat this. It's like slightly burned so you get a nice smoky taste. The dough was also really soft and fluffy. The sauce was really tomato-y and when I had a bite with the basil, I was like, hey, I like basil! And then when you finally get a bite with nice chunky mozzarella, it's really good. It was a new experience, but I still wish there was more basil and more mozz. Motorino is also known for their tiramisu.

Look at that piece of beauty. It looks like its right out of a friggin' magazine! And it tasted muy delicioso!!! This is now my go to for tiramisu because 1. it was really good. and 2. it has no rum! It's kinda hard to find tiramisu without a coffee liquer of sorts so I was really glad this one didn't have it or else I would be missing out. There were two different layers of cream. The top was more yellow-y and slightly sweeter than the bottom white layer. The sponge cake was super moist and it went really well with the super smooth consistency of the cream. It also had a nice dusting of bitter chocolate on top which was balanced out by the other sweet flavors. The coffee also had a more subtle flavor in this tiramisu which I liked because other ones I've had the coffee was too overpowering. This was the perfect blend of sweet, smooth cream, moist cake, coffee, and chocolate. Awesome! I will come back for this tiramisu whenever I have a craving because they also deliver! Score!

Locanda Verde!!!

So I've been wanting to Locanda Verde for quite some time as I had heard many great things about it. I had heard that the maple budino was one of the best things that Frank Bruni, a food editor at the New York Times, ever ate. So I had high hopes for it. He also named it one of the best desserts of 2010 or something like that. So I had high hopes for it. After I saw the episode, I looked up their menu online but found that it wasn't there so I gave up on the idea. Recently, however, I discovered that the maple budino was back on the menu. I knew that it would disappear from the menu soon so I knew I HAD to go soon. Also being that they only serve the dessert menu for dinner, I decided to do that with me sister Mona. Walking in, I was glad I had somewhat dressed up because I saw that this was a place for classy people. The lights were dimmed low, there were candles (as seen below) on every table, and a slight buzz just as dinner was starting (we got there at 5:30pm). Overall, the atmosphere seemed really cozy. Before ordering, the busboy brought over two pieces of foccacia bread.

Now let me tell ya. At first you're like oh, bread. My first thought was WHERE'S THE BUTTER???!!!! They wanted me to eat just bread? Yes, yes they did. And let me say. This bread did NOT need butter. At all. I was willing to deal with the no bread so I picked up the soft warm bread and took a bite. Mmmmmmm!!!! was all I thought. It was super soft and warm and yes it was bread but it had some cheese on top that was probably a mix of parmesan and maybe cheddar? and something else. It was really good. A great way to start the meal. Then for an appetizer, we shared the Sheep's Milk Ricotta with sea salt and herbs.

I gotta say, I had heard that this was life changing, but honestly, it wasn't. Don't get me wrong, I thought it was a nice appetizer. The cheese was really creamy and smooth, and you could taste the sea salt and herbs. The bread it came with was slightly charred which I actually liked because at some points it kinda tasted like pizza. I know, I'm weird. I also liked that it came with at least 8 slices of bread so they weren't ripping you off. There'd better be a good amount because it was $14!!! It was good, but not great. Other things we had that night definitely stood out more. Then we moved on to a special they had that day so I don't know the complete description. It was a fondutta ravioli with mushrooms, something else, and truffle butter.

Ding! Ding! Ding! We got ourselves a winner! First off, I like that it's a house made ravioli, I think it says a lot when a restaurant makes their own pasta, especially high quality like this one. The ravioli was pillow-y soft and stuffed with a fondutta cheese. I've never had fondutta cheese before but now I can say I have! And I like it!! Me and my sister didnt know what one of the things was but we ate it anyway and it wasn't bad. The mushrooms added a nice earthy touch too. Normally, it's not my favorite vegetable, but I didn't mind it being on the plate and find it did add a nice touch to the dish. What really stole the show was the SAUCE!!! It was truffle butter and now I know, anything that has truffle butter in it, I will order it. It was AWESOME! I could've just eaten the sauce on its own!It was really creamy and cheesy and just went with the cheese ravioli perfectly. I scraped that bowl clean!Mmmmmmmm..... Then, dessert. The main reason I was there! I ordered the maple budino (that was the whole mission, mission accomplished!) and Mona had the La fantasia di Coliccio.

                     

We split this dessert so that we were both eating half of one. I had the La fantasia di Coliccio first.  I'm not sure what the name is or the exact components since they changed the menu from the one they have online. It had caramel gelato, apple sorbetto, caramel sauce, chocolate crouton like thingys and a caramel brittle on top. I decided to try each component separately first. The caramel gelato was really good. Super smooth, caramel taste was spot on. The apple sorbetto was also great. It was like POW! pure apple. It wasn't as creamy as smooth as the gelato. It was sorbetto after all, but I didn't really care. It was really good! Then I tried everything together. I scooped up the gelato, sorbetto, some of the caramel sauce, and the chocolate crouton and mmmmmmmm what a nice combo! The chocolate crouton provided a nice crunchy contrast to the creamy gelato which also played well with the fresh apple taste. It reminded me of a really good caramel apple! As I kept digging, I realized at the bottom that there were little apple cubes! I scooped those up and those were a nice surprise. Soft, fresh aples added a great finishing touch.

On to why I was there. The Maple Budino!!! This was the star of the whole night I have to say. The ravioli was the best savory and this was definitely the best sweet treat of the night! I mean, the sundae was awesome, but this was just RIDICULOUS! So over the top good! It had a maple budino which was served with a  cranberry-blood orange conserve and cranberry sorbetto. There were also some dried cranberrries and walnuts too! It all sounds so strange together but trust me they all work together to make a truly magnificient dish. The maple budino I thought had the consistency of maybe a pudding or more like flan. Really creamy and soft. It had a strong sweet maple taste that was balanced out by the tart cranberry sorbetto. I thought that individually, all of the components were great, but when I had a bite of the walnut, dried cranberry, the sauce, sorbetto, and some of the maple budino, it was like a symphony of flavors were having a party in my mouth! The sweet budino with the tart cranberry sorbetto with the nice crunch of walnuts (which you wouldn't think would go AT ALL but somehow it does!) and silky sauce was just HEAVEN! It really was PERFECT! I never say that things are "one of the best things i ever ate" because I don't really eat fancy food much, but I gotta say that this was DAMN GOOD. And that it really set the bar high for other future restaurant visits. Well done Karen, well done. You pastry genious you.

So our meal ended with the bill and it was given to us with this cute little plate of chocolate biscotti! How cute! The maple budino was so good Mona and I wanted to get another one but felt that we were in a good place so we shouldn't push it. This was a great ending to a great meal. Super crunchy and chocolatey and I think it had some golden raisins or something sweet that just made it real good. Overall, I was amazed by Locanda Verde. It was consistently good food, with friendly people and a nice atmosphere. Before we left, Mona and I were planning our next visit with our other sister and friend!! Oh, Locanda Verde. I shall see you soon. Very, very soon! :)

Kwik Meal!!!

So I was in the rockefeller area and just learned that plans for dinner were cancelled so as always, I wanted to get something new. So I remembered reading a post about Kwik Meal and it was only a few blocs away so I decided to get food from there. I discovered that they won the 2007 Vendy Awards and knew I had picked the right choice. Now, I had heard good things of the Lamb Pita and the Cheesesteak. Being that the lamb pita was $10 as opposed to the $5.50 cheesesteak and being the cheapo that I am, I went with the cheesesteak. Lamb pita next time when I'm in the mood. On to the cheesesteak. It was really really good!

It was like a traditional cheesesteak but it tasted kinda different too. I mean, it had all of the components of the traditional cheesesteak (peppers, steak, melty cheese) but it tasted a little different. Me thinks its cuz of the cheese. Im not sure which one they used but it didnt taste like american. All I know is it was good. I also really liked that the steak was really flavorful and tender. Sometimes when I get a cheesesteak the steak is chewy and just not great, but this one wasn't at all. It was all warm and ooey gooey cuz of the cheese and soft cuz of the steak but had some crunch from the peppers so lots of contrast of textures and flavors! Overall, it was good, so I'm DEFINITELY going back for the Lamb Pita!

Torrisi Itailian Specialties and the Best Chocolate Cake in the World!

Hey y'all. After a stressful week, I needed a good pick me up. So it being friday and all, I went to get some good food and cake! First stop, Torrisi Italian Specialties. I had heard that they made really good sandwiches, especially the chicken parmesan and turkey sandwich. I was more in a hearty mood so I went for the chicken parmesan.

Look at that picture. I know you're drooling. This sandwich was really good. The bread was super soft and soaked in all that marinara sauce which was super tomato-y and herby. It was smothered with mozzarella cheese that was oozing and overflowing over the sides. Super stretchy and melty= real good! There were also leaves on top that I ate that didn't really contribute to flavor but I liked the veggie input so I wasn't complaining. There were two chicken patties so it was super chicken-y and really filling. Fluffy bread with chicken, tomato sauce, and cheese was really good. The only negative thing I can say is that it was really messy so bring a napkin or something. It was all over my hands but thankfully I had a napkin. The best chocolate cake in the world was like a block away so that was the dessert spot.

 I almost walked past the place but realized it said best chocolate place in the world. Realistically I knew it wouldnt be the best chocolate cake in the world but when you have that title I must dispute/verify. So I got a slice to go. First thing, it's not really chocolcate cake. It's more chocolate mousse with dark chocolate filling and then like a slight crunchy layer.It was good, but nothing to write home about. I liked that the mousse was light but upset because it really wasn't cake and it definitely did not live up to its title. So, I 've had better but not bad. So yeah, that was my destressing method. Good food in Noho.

Tanoreen!!!!

So, I had another food experience. So soon? I know, it's out of the ordinary. However, there is a reason. It was EID!!!! And what better way to celebrate such a holiday than having dinner with the family at a mediterranean restaurant? So that's what we did. Reservations at 6pm cuz you know this places is always booked. On to the food. Oh and apolgies in advance, we did't take many photos of the food cuz it was rather dark and i figured that the internet would have beter looking ones. First, like any other restaurant they had a bread basket. But this was arab style. ain't no breadsticks here. just pita bread. But with regular triangles of pita bread there was also this spiced one which i believe the arabic phrase for it is zayt wi zaatar (oil with these seed like things, see photo).

The bread was crisp and crunchy. The seeds were too! They were kinda lemony though so I didn't really like it because it left an aftertaste of sour that I wasn't diggin. But according to the others it wasn't bad. Then, we had a yellow lentil soup. It kinda looked like that. It's what we call aatz. I dunno why but all I kept tasting was Indian. It was weird and apparently only I was tasting it although Mona said she kinda could too. With some soft pita bread, it was pretty good but sorry my mom makes it better. On to the entrees! We ordered three to share among 5 of us knowing that they would be quite large.We ordered the shepherd's pie, chicken fetti, and beef stew.

 So the beef stew was a special sooo I couldn't find pictures of it but this one had most of the components. It had beef, spinach, chick peas, olive oil, and spices? I think that's what was in it. It sounded good so we ordered it. I liked it. The beef was really tender and falls apart in your mouth like it has been in that stew forever (which it probably was). The spinach that came with it was so spinach-y. Usually when I make spinach at home I can tell it's spinach but the flavor was so powerful I could probably identify it blindfolded, which I liked. The chick peas I gotta say didn't really contribute much but I love any type of bean so I was happy it was in there. It came with rice and salad too.

On to the chicken fetti. It is described as " shredded chicken, Egyptian-spiced rice, a rich yogurt-tahini sauce, crunchy toasted pita chips and fragrant toasted almonds." Pretty accurate I'd say. It was pretty good too. I think what surprised me the most were the almonds. When I was eating the dish I was like whoa this is weird, cuz there were like little crunchy almonds in it! I never had yogurt in a savory dish before so I wanted to try it. it wasn't bad! It made the dish really creamy! When I had all the components together it was really good! It was creamy, crunchy, soft (from the chicken), and with the pita chips.... lovely.

  

And finally, the shepherd's pie. This turned out to be the all star of the bunch. It stole the freakin show. It was sooo good! I have never had a traditional shepherd's pie but after this one I want one! It had "Garlic mashed potatoes layered with lamb, pine nuts and Tanoreen spices, baked to a golden brown and served with salad." It looked like macaroni and cheese or something when it came but when you cut through it, you could tell it was shepherd's pie. The whole table loved it! It was a pretty much agreed upon fav of the thre dishes. The meat was so flavorful and the mashed potatoes were a nice consistency. I can imagine what the American version tastes like but I could also see the arabic twist on such a classic and I LOVED IT!! It was really really good. I would definitely recommend it and may get it the next time I'm there. Now, on to dessert!

MMMMMMMMMMM!!! Looking at this picture makes me want some more! Knafeh!! "Shredded filo stuffed with two types of sweet cheese and baked. Topped with homemade syrup and pistachio nuts." Om nom nom nom nom nom nom! Sooooo good! I can't really explain how knafeh tastes, you kinda have to try it yourself. It really is like sweet hay with sweet cheese in a syrup which makes it sound like it tastes ridiculous but it really is delicious! And tanoreen does it right! We had to wait 20 minutes for this bad boy because they make it fresh! Now, that is the way to serve knafeh! When it came to the table the waitress cut it into individual pieces for us. It came with a side of syrup too and extra syrup don't hurt! I liked my slice cuz it was last and she scraped all the good stuff on to mine. Hehehehehehe :) Anyhow, it's really good, and I'm not much of an arabic sweets person.

In summary, GO TO TANOREEN! It has been claimed to be the best mediterranean restaurant in New York and has won several awards for its food. And hey, after my experience there, they are well deserved. It's worth a trip to Bay Ridge so go visit whenever you can, but make sure you have a reservation cuz they're ALWAYS BUSY! I'm just really happy it's only a couple of blocks from my house! :)

Lady M Boutique

Hey y'all. Haven't posted in a while but here's a good one! I went to Lady M yesterday because I had lotsof time to kill before going to pick up Mona and going home so I decided to stop buy and get one of the foods on my list that I've been meaning to get around to. I haven't gotten any in a while, hence the lapse in posts. But on to the food. I got the mille crepe cake. Now I know crepe and cake don't really go together/make sense but if you think about it, it can. Basically, its layers and layers of crepes (approximately 20)! they're layered with a smooth, creamy custard. When you put you're fork through, I'm telling you now, it's going to be hard to cut because you're tearing off twenty layers of crepe with that fork! But it's worth the suffering. The crepes are so thin and light and somewhat buttery but sweet. The creamy custard is what does it though. Its not too sweet and goes great with the thin layers of crepe. It's one of those desserts that isn't sweet but is still good! Weird huh? When I went in I saw LOTS of delicious looking things but at $7.50 for a slice, I couldn't afford to get anything else. Perhaps in the future though. If you're in the area, check it out!