Delicious Things I Ate Last Weekend

Woweeee! I ate like a queen last weekend! It's weekends like these that make me wonder why I don't weigh more than I do! (Must be all the running!). If you get food from any of these places, you'll be a happy camper, I promise!

Francesca

Ladurée

Roberta's 

Russ & Daughters

Frankies Who? A Review of Francesca

Just kidding! I'll love you forever, Frankies 17!

When I first found out they were turning my all time favorite restaurant, Frankies 17, into the Spanish tapas restaurant Francesca, I was devastated! STUNNED! It took me months to deal with the pain. I even tried to use humor as a coping mechanism, by announcing on April Fool's Day to my all facebook friends that they were "turning the West Village Frankies into a French restaurant called Francois, and the Brooklyn Frankies into a pierogi palace (yes! I actually said "pierogi palace"!) called Franciszek". Unfortunately that didn't help me move on from the loss of Frankies 17, and people were so upset, I almost lost some friends over it.

Finally, acceptance turned into curiosity: Could Francesca be as amazing as Frankies 17? Was there any tapas dish in the world that could replace Frankies' gnocchi? Well I am happy to report that the answer is YES! Last night I went to Francesca with my friend Jessica (the person that first took me to Frankies 17 back in 2006!) and her husband Jeff....and let me tell you, it was AMAZING! Glorious actually! Pretty much everything is the same (same awesome waitstaff, almost the same decor except for high tables in the first room), except the food is something new and refreshing and scrumptious!

What we ordered:
-The Dry-aged Beef Tartare served with cauliflower cream: Served with perfectly toasted bread, this dish made us shake our heads in disbelief that anything could be so good.
-Egg Salad with Boqueron: at this stage in my life, I'd like to think I can make a mean egg salad. But this one was even more flavorful!
-White And Green Asparagus with migas (fried bread), aioli, sherry vinaigrette: so fresh and delicious!
-Creamy Fideua With Idiazabal: kind of like a delicate mac and cheese. Yummy, but seemed to be lacking something.

-Our dessert was a special, and involved warm chocolate on bread with salt. Need I say more?
Drinks were great too!

Take a look at the pics on Serious Eats. If this doesn't convince you to run to the restaurant now, I don't know what will! Don't tell anyone though! The more people that know about this, the longer it will take for me to get a table.

http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?center=40.7207616,-73.9843166&zoom=15&size=172x128&markers=40.7207616,-73.9843166&sensor=false
Francesca
17 Clinton St.
New York
NY
favorite dishes: Dry-aged Beef Tartare with cauliflower cream, Dulce De Leche.
Supergreat

A Special Valentine's Post: I LOVE TERTULIA!

Saturday night I went to a restaurant that might prevent me from ever enjoying another restaurant again: Tertulia. People have been raving about it for months, and I figured there was no way it could ever live up to the hype. BUT BOY, I WAS WRONG (you will not hear those words from me often)!

Tertulia is everything I ever imagined and MORE! Here, you might chase after your waiter with a fork if he tried to take away your plates before they were completely clean (yes, this happened to us that night. Well, not the fork, but it could have easily come to that!). The people who work there are delightful! None of that typical attitude coming from the other popular kitchens in town.

There are so many amazing dishes, where do I begin? Some favorites:

-Tosta huevo roto y jamón ibérico (Crushed egg, potato, Ibérico ham): This dish is a head turner! It actually caught our attention when a waiter passed by with it, so we knew we had to get it. I cannot describe the deliciousness to you!

-Cordero (Grilled lamb breast, creamy farro, cauliflower): I don't think I have ever had anything so scrumptious in my life. A flavor and texture sensation! I fear the puddle of drool caused by thinking about it might damage my computer.

-Torta de Limón (Meyer lemon pound-cake, buttermilk ice-cream, candied lemon peel): The perfect way to end the meal. BUTTERMILK ICE CREAM! Need I say more? So fresh and amazing and unique. Heaven!

I spent a good part of the dinner saying things like "Pork Belly, Schmork Schmelly" & "David Chang, Schmavid Schmang" (I still love you David! I'm just kidding!).

Tertulia, I would not change one thing about you. NOT ONE SINGLE THING! I can't WAIT to return!

[Oh, and because this place is so popular, it's hard to get a table. So be willing to wait an hour or two! Or maybe try going early (5 or 6pm), might be easier then? GOOD LUCK! It is worth the wait, trust me!]

Tertulia 359 6th Ave (Between W 4th and Washington Pl)

When in Chinatown, Don't Judge a Book By Its Cover

Tasty Hand Pulled Noodles is the kind of restaurant you would never know to visit unless someone told you about it (Thanks, Pallas!). I'm not going to lie, it's not pretty in there. Not at all. But this little hole in the wall Chinese restaurant needs no bells and whistles. It's all about good food. Noodles are hand pulled in the kitchen (I'm assuming by a team of magical fairies). Our meal was low carb all the way: pork dumplings, dumpling soup with noodles, and pan friend noodles (These were my favorite. Wow!). We loved that they gave us scissors to cut those never-ending noodles, nice little touch! And the best part is, it's CHEAP!

Don't worry, we put all the money we saved on dinner towards drinks at nearby Pulqueria, another place you could easily pass by. From the outside it looks like just another Vietnamese restaurant, but inside it's an amazing bar (and Mexican restaurant) with yummy drinks, amazing atmosphere, good times! We even ran into some friends there. Other people know about this place too? Am I the last person to find out about it?

Love those random Chinatown nights. You never know what you'll stumble upon!

Red Farm: A Restaurant For People Who Like Happiness

The only time I will ever be OK with sitting in a tiny chair at a restaurant is if the food is as good as it is at Red Farm. Yes, that's right people. I was at Red Farm Friday night, and when I went to sit in my chair, I fell for what felt like hours until I finally hit the seat. And before you think "Well, if you had an unusually small chair, probably everyone else did too, right Sam?". WRONG! For some reason, it was just me! But one taste of the Spicy Crispy Beef (we ordered seconds, it was THAT delicious), and I was happy to sit in whatever chair they wanted to give me!

I had been reading rave reviews about Red Farm for months. So of course I wondered if it was all hype, or if the food was really that good. Oh it was good alright! Everything was absolutely finger lickin' scrumptious! Even my friend Lilly who is one tough critic (she once told a waitress the dessert "tasted like refrigerator", and it kind of did actually!) was raving. None of us could believe how much we enjoyed our meal! Can't WAIT to go back!

Other dishes to try: Kung Pao Chicken and Scallion Dumplings, Katz's Pastrami Egg Roll

Oh, and they don't take reservations, but you call ahead to see how they can best accommodate your party (you might have to go there to put your name down, or they might be able to take it down over the phone the day you want to visit). 

Adam Platt Has Spoken (And I Have Listened)

In this week's New York Magazine, Adam Platt lists the top 100 restaurants in NY right now....Which for me is part trip down memory lane, and part to-do list for 2012! Here are the restaurants I would LOVE to try next year (I should probably start making reservations now):

-Per Se (DUH! Who doesn't want to eat at Per Se? Must find some special occasion to celebrate!)

-Momofuku Ko (Been wanting to try for years! But could anything be better than pork buns?)

-Torrisi Italian Specialties (My love of Frankies Spuntino makes it hard to for me to enjoy any other Italian restaurants but this one sounds GOOOOD!)

-Maialino-I walk by this restaurant, located in the Gramercy Park Hotel, all the time and peer in with envy, wondering why I haven't been yet. It looks so delightful in there! And if Danny Meyer has anything to do with the place, it must be good (hello Shake Shack! and Eleven Madison Park (which is also on the Platt's list by the way)).

-L'Atelier De Joel Robuchon-(I know a guy who actually CRIED at Joel Robuchon's restaurant in Paris because the food was so extraordinary! And I hear Robuchon's New York restaurant is pretty darn amazing too.)

 

The FOOD SPREADSHEET!

I don't want to build this up or anything, but this might be the most important day of your life. It is a moment that will trend on twitter....It's the day your life changes forever....

Yes, that's right, it's the day I share my food spreadsheet with you! I've been keeping track of my favorite restaurants for years (I don't bother writing down the ones I didn't like)..I also keep a list of the new places I want to try (Am I missing anything? Let me know if you've eaten anywhere good lately!). I update the spreadsheet so check back often. 

Well, here it is, DRUMROLL PLEASE.....SAM'S FOOD SPREADSHEET


And just so you know (in case you haven't heard me mention them a million times before), my favorite spots are:

-Frankies 17
-Shake Shack
-Ippudo
-Luke's Lobster
-Levain Bakery

Shake Shack-A Sob Story

Ahhh, the people I get along with best are those that love food as much as I do. That's why it was so fun having my good friend Abby in town from Chicago this past weekend. We ate like queens! Flex Mussels on Friday night. Shake Shack for lunch saturday. Yerba Buena saturday night. Luke's Lobster for lunch Sunday...There were also some slices of pizza mixed into our diverse culinary schedule. 

One of the most poignant (and hilarious) moments of the weekend was when I looked over at Abby just as she had finished her Shack Burger. She was completely devastated the burger was over, and looked as if she might cry. It's that good, people. You never want it to end! Abby, the fact that you almost cried over a burger makes you even more awesome than I already thought you were. Come back again soon please!

The Hottest Kitchens In Town

The following three restaurants have been the toast of the town lately. GREAT PRESS ALL OVER THE PLACE (i.e. you will have to sell your new iphone 4S for BIG BUCKS and bribe someone if you ever want to see the inside of these places and actually eat food!). I am dying to try though:

Tertulia -New Spanish restaurant that's being RAVED about by every single critic and blog. Is it all smoke and mirrors or is this place really as awesome as they say? I guess I'll found out in 2015 when they hype dies down and I'm actually able to get a table there!
 

Miss Lily's- The most stylish Jamaican restaurant in town. I popped into Miss Lily's Friday night at 7:30 to see how long the wait would be for a party of two. "Sorry, we won't have anything until 11pm". Uh oh. You don't want to come in contact with hungry Sam. She can be a vicious creature!! (Had to eat somewhere else which actually turned out to be an amazing little hidden gem, Snack. Great pick, Michael!)

Red Farm- Farm to table Chinese food (including Pac-Man dumplings!)? I SAY YES!

For more ideas on where you just HAVE to eat right now, check out Eater's Heatmap.

Very Hungry Sam

WOW! With my Aussie cousins in town, it was two weeks of eating like a queen, and I loved every second of it!! I thought the best way to document my culinary adventures would be "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" style (a book that inspired generations of foodies!). Here are some of my favorite eats:

A tasty recap:

-Mt. Desert Island,  51 Exchange Street Portland, Maine

-Street and Co, 33 Wharf Street Portland, Maine

-IHOP, you can find them all over! It IS international after all!

-Balaboosta, 214 Mulberry Street New York, NY

-Frankies 17, 17 Clinton Street New York, NY

P.S. I am now obsessed with Salted Caramel ice cream and on a mission to find some in NYC. HELP ME!

One of the Most Heavenly Foods In New York

lobster pic via jasonlam

Mmmmm! If you have never tried the lobstery goodness that is Luke's Lobster, you need to stop what you're doing, and GO NOW!!! SERIOUSLY NOW!! There is nothing that could be more urgent (Well, unless you are waiting to get a table at Frankie's. That is also an incredibly important mission).

It is impossible for me to think of the words "Luke's Lobster" without salivating. I'm talking huge chunks of juicy lobster fresh from Maine, smothered with the perfect amount of glistening butter and a bit of mayo, on a perfectly toasted bun. MMMMMMM!! It will make you happy. SOOO HAPPPY!! You will never want to eat anything else again, because it couldn't possibly be as good. GO NOW BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE (I have no idea what that means, but just GO! Why are you still reading this? GO!)!!

Lucky for you, Luke's has shops in the E. Village, UES, UWS, Financial District (and even D.C.!). You can also follow their food truck on Twitter (@LukesLobsterNY) to find out where it's parked each day.

By the way, I was double checking whether the word "Heaven" is capitalized (I still don't know the answer! Does anyone know?), and I stumbled upon this hilarious response which mistakenly thought the question had to do with capitalism (not capitalization) in Heaven. Gosh, there are some characters out there!!

Bring on the Rain!!

The following words usually make me sad: thunder, rain, lluvia (rain in spanish), lightening, mist, ominous skies, drizzling, storm. But not when it comes to SHAKE SHACK!!! If juicy, perfectly seasoned burgers with delicious fluffy potato buns are involved, rain is my new best friend! As soon as that first droplet hits the ground, I know I can easily get my Shack burger, and without the ridiculously long wait (can be more than an hour on a beautiful sunny day!!). Not that I wouldn't wait hours for that scrumptious piece of heaven....

How To Get Your Ramen at Ippudo Without Waiting

What I'm about to tell you could change your life forever... You know the NY ramen restaurant Ippudo? The one that ALWAYS has a huge wait to get a table? Well, I'm going to tell you how to stroll on in there and sit right down to eat. I know what you're probably thinking: "But Sam, if you tell millions of us your secret, won't that ruin your trick? You are such an amazing altruistic person. I'm so lucky to know about your blog. May wonderful things happen to you in return for your generosity. An angel you are, Sam! Sent directly from up above! You must have wings, Sam. Straight from heaven, Sam!". And you know what? That's probably all true. Except the wings part, ewww, gross! But back to my trick....If I can save you the wait at Ippudo, it is well worth it! That's just the kind of person I am. You can thank me later (by sending me a check, or finding me a husband, or baking me cookies etc).

So here's the secret: GO EARLY! I'm talking early bird special early! If you get to Ippudo by 5:30pm on a weeknight (doesn't work on the weekends), you will most likely be seated immediately. Fine, maybe no one really wants to eat that early in the evening, but trust me once you have that scrumptious bowl of heaven sitting in front of you, you'll feel hunger like you've never known! I recommend the Akamaru Modern ramen (make sure you order with a soft boiled egg. It's $2 extra, but it might be the best $2 you ever spend in your life!), it is dreamy! 

You're welcome. You owe me one!

Reasons I Heart NY-Vol. 7

-Nuts 4 Nuts-Those nuts vendors on lucky Manhattan street corners-They give off the most magical smell I've ever known. If I could bottle that smell and sell it to New Yorkers living overseas, I'm pretty sure I could make millions. (If you're wondering, the nuts don't even taste half as good as they smell, but they're still pretty darn good!)
-Joe's Shanghai-Sitting at a communal table with your friend and about 4 random people, slurping on delicious soup dumplings-it doesn't get any better than that!
-Signs alerting people to when/where movies and tv shows will be filmed...posted in advance...(required by law, I think?): Making it easier than ever to stalk your favorite celebrities!

-Shady people lingering on the east river that motivate me to run faster on my river jogs (so as to show them they shouldn't try messing with me)
-Apotheke-a hidden apothecary style bar we stumbled upon (with a little help from our iPhones of course!) in Chinatown. Amazing ambiance! Bartenders wear white coats and prescribe cocktails to suit your needs: Health and Beauty, Stress Relievers, Aphrodisiacs etc. Just what the doctor ordered (You don't know how long I was waiting to say that! Couldn't resist!).

Staten Island: Harry Belafonte, Amazing Food, the Ferry

Well, last Wednesday was my first time in Staten Island, and I have to say: I LIKE!!!

Transportation: And they say you can't get a free ride (Or do they only say that about free lunch?). Well I got one last Wednesday: The Staten Island Ferry! It was magical, breezy, and FREE! And I passed Lady Liberty along the way. What more could you want?

The Event: My friend Emi and I were heading to the opening night of the Staten Island Film Festival (her short film, "The Retreat" was in it). The new Harry Belafonte documentary, "Sing Your Song" was being screened, and lucky for us, Harry himself was there to answer questions after the film. Very cool!

The Food: The screening was over by 10pm and we still hadn't eaten dinner. We were STARVING! Luckily, we stumbled upon this adorable little Italian restaurant, Enoteca Maria, RIGHT next door to the theater. And BOY was this place authentic. Pretty much everyone that works there is from Italy, including the chefs who are actual Grandmas (or Nonnas) from all over Italy. I was pretty sure this was going to be the best Italian feast I had eaten all week/ever (Sorry, Frankies! You're pretty darn good yourself)! At first, I had some difficulty actually procuring food (the waiter told me they were out of both dishes I tried ordering (not until AFTER after he raved about them though! DO NOT MESS WITH HUNGRY SAM! It is not pretty!). Once the food started coming out I was transported directly to Italy. It was definitely worth the wait!

A postcard from the Enoteca Maria. Those are the Grandmas acting like the Beatles!! Awesome, eh?

Favorite Part of the Night (besides seeing Harry Belafonte, eating amazing Italian food, and having the most amazing hair day ever): As we were walking back to the ferry at the end of the night, a garbage truck flew around the corner at an alarming speed. Emi screamed "NOOOO! I can't be hit by a garbage truck in Staten Island. That's not how i want to go!!". Hilarious! Perfect way to end to a magical night!

Reasons I Loved New York This Week-Vol. 4

-Rollerskaters in Central Park-People of all different sorts skate around and dance in front of hundreds of (bewildered and amazed) spectators. There's no better place for people watching in the world! If you ever visit NY (or if you live here!) You have to check it out.
-Arturo's-You don't come here for the food (although it's pretty decent). You come for the live jazz, old school NY feel, awesome bartender named Tony. If you ever go there, tell Tony Sam sent ya. He'll have no clue what you mean! haha!
-Jeffrey's-An adorable, painfully hip restaurant in the West Village owned by the same people as Joseph Leonard (which is also awesome). Sat at the bar and slurped down some oysters and munched on cheese and toast. Yum!
-Comedy Cellar-"The Place Where Lots of Famous People Have Performed". Not their official tag line, but it's true! Great place for some laughs (get there early to score a table in the front if you want the comedians to make fun of you!)
-Jaume Plensa's "Echo" (a.k.a. the giant head sculpture) in Madison Square Park- I don't know if it's because I have a big head and I can relate, or what....but seriously every time I walk by this sculpture, I am mesmerized. It is beautiful!

As Ice Cube Once Said, "It Was a Good Day"

Last week, I had one of those days where it seemed nothing could go wrong! The sun was shining, the birds were chirping (or the new york equivalent: I didn't see any rats), the elevator door opened up right as I walked toward it, the doorman (who can sometimes be cold and bitter) gave me a smile and a wink, I found $10 hidden in my purse, had an amazing run on the river (didn't throw my iPod in!)...and ended the night with a delicious dinner at Socarrat Nolita with friends.....It was like a dream (except my dreams usually involve my teeth falling out, bombings, and forgetting to study for a test...so it was EVEN BETTER THAN A DREAM!!)

Reasons I Loved NY This Week-Vol. 3

-Saturday night at the Brooklyneer, my favorite new bar in the city: Now there's really no reason to leave Manhattan! My friends Brock and Nikolai (and their friends Carson and Howard) always pick the most awesome songs (new ones, and also the ones you always loved but completely forgot about). I'm not going to lie, there was dancing. My friend Sarah showed me some moves I didn't know were possible (especially out in public!). The night was a little bit magical!

-Cheap manicure/pedicure. $21! Hands and feet simultaneously...Felt like such a diva....And loved every second of it!

-NYC Downtown Short Film Festival- Finally got to see my friend Emi's short movie "The Retreat". Awesome! Also discovered this adorable short film about a cat (and who doesn't love cats? They are all the rage right now!!) by an Aussie filmmaker.

-Borscht at Veselka-A NY institution! Your life will never be the same again, once you know something so amazing exists within a 15 minute walk from you.

-Sitting solo in the sun at Shake Shack when a random stranger came up and asked to sit at my table (There was limited seating elsewhere). I kept my music on and continued to stare into the sun. He ate his deliciously scrumptious Shack Burger. It was more awkward than any dates I've been on so far this year!

Reasons I Loved NY This Week-Vol. 2

-Foie Gras with Cinco Cebollas (5 types of onions!) at Casa Mono. Could have ordered 3 just for myself!
-Gramercy Park in full bloom. Peering in from outside the gate, watching the rich people frolic and daydreaming about someone mistakenly letting me in when they leave. Unfortunately for me, Gramercy Park is one of only two private parks in NYC, and you must live around its perimeter (a.k.a. be rich!) to get a key...Hello Uma Thurman!

-Sunshine! 'Twas an April Miracle. OFF TO CENTRAL PARK!
-Getting a beer at the happy hour price even though it was just after happy hour ended. Love Marshall Stack. New favorite bar!
-Brioche Donut Holes with Nutella Filling from Dessert Truck Works during my post-Passover rampage. Mmmmm best doughnut EVER (except for Doughnut Plant which is also amazing!)

Reasons I Loved NY This Week

-Mark Ruffalo live at Times Talks. He's even dreamier in real life than he is in the movies. Sigh!

-French kids belting out Edith Piaf on a subway ride.
-A free round of champagne at Yerba Buena, to encourage us to "stay longer" (Much better than that mediocre restaurant in Midtown (I know, a mediocre restaurant in Midtown...You're shocked!) that asked us when we would be leaving). Best place ever!
-A nighttime walk on Irving Place, staring at the Chrysler Building. So pretty lit up!
-A terrible date at Pete's Tavern, followed by a lovely dinner with friends at Cornelia Street Cafe, where I proceeded to completely trash my date to my friend, who I soon found out actually KNEW my date! Ah, such a small world, NY!