Oops...

Is it seriously June 5, 2012 already?!  I'm so bad, I haven't blogged in HOW long?  Goodness.  The worst part is Mike keeps telling me I haven't and I keep saying "I know, I'm gonna get to it .... soon." LOL.  Soon turned into OVER a year later.  Time just goes by too fast.

What's new you ask?

Starting January 2012 I picked up my training, started doing a new workout called TRX/Kettlebells.  Best. Workout. EVER.  Love it. (Thanks Alex!) Then I started doing these things called Spartan WODs or Workouts of the Day, then I discovered minimalist running shoes (shout outs to New Balance Minimus Trail Running Shoes!  Thank you for fixing my gait!  I went from lots of knee pain, to running and running with NO knee pain, unbelievable). 

Was supposed to run in a recent Spartan Sprint in Tuxedo Ridge, NY, as a replacement for an injured person on the NYSC team but found out a day before that apparently they don't accept replacements or transfer registrations for insurance reasons.  Boo.  But now, I know what i'm up against and I know what I should be training for (monkey bars here I come, woohoo! lol!). 

I've been to a TON of new places (food-wise) with Mike.  I need to post those ... OMG, i'm just perpetually behind in every aspect of my life.  It is what it is.  Back to the slave post I go for now ... I should be posting something soon, it was just a matter of getting back on the bike, or so they say ...

The Redhead

SATURDAY - MARCH 12, 2011 (DINNER)

The Redhead

349 E. 13th Street (b/w 1st & 2nd Aves)
New York, New York 10003
212-533-6212

website: http://www.theredheadnyc.com/


yelp: 4 stars
menupages: 4 stars
(new feature! I will start putting up yelp and menupages reviews)


Mike and I came here because we had heard so much about the fried chicken and it was definitely time to try it out!


WHAT WE ORDERED:

(The Fried Chicken!)

You didn't really expect us to order anything else when we came here specifically for the fried chicken right??? LOL! But let me tell you, I am a fried chicken fan and I ADORE this fried chicken! The breading on the outside is crispy but not heavy, it's not greasy which I have NO clue how they manage to pull off, but it's perfectly crispy, not too salty (perfectly seasoned) and not greasy... WIN!!!!

The salad beneath the chicken was a pear salad and it was just perfectly tossed with a very light lemon vinaigrette, perfection. This is not to diminish the poor little cornbread in the corner who seems meek in comparison to the rest of the plate, but do not be deceived by its small and demure stature, the taste packs a wollop! Moist, not chewy and not too sweet, very well done! =) Mike and I cleaned our plates, which is obviously an indicator of how much we loved the food!

If you're looking for a really good fried chicken that won't make you feel like heartburn is on the horizon, definitely visit the redhead. Be forewarned, they do not take reservations so if you don't like to wait, get there early or late or get ready to hunker down and wait. If you do decide to wait they have a great beer selection and some great appetizers, the bacon peanut brittle is a very good "to share" starter. Also, though I'm sure this is clear, it's not Popeyes (though I have nothing but LOVE for popeyes!) or KFC priced either, the fried chicken is $18 per plate, but worth every penny. Either way, I would definitely go back for the fried chicken and maybe to even try their other menu items. The staff was very attentive and friendly as well though I don't think I could say the same for the table of roustabouts sitting next to us, obnoxious.

Next on my fried chicken bucket list - Buttermilk Channel and Momofuku =)

Cafe Mike & Sherry - Cran-Apple Roasted Pork Loin

CRAN-APPLE ROASTED PORK LOIN (SLOW COOKER STYLE)

Recipe: http://southernfood.about.com/od/crockpotporkroasts/r/bl57c5.htm

(what it looks like done!)

(can you see the steam comin' off that bad boy? lol.)

(you better see the steam now! ha!)

This was a good recipe ya'll we made it with some rice and spinach on the side. I liked this recipe, it was easy and tasty. I can't say it's the best slow-cooker recipe I've ever come across, coz in a later (and upcoming) entry I made something I gotta say was TO DIE FOR!!!

But if you need something easy and tasty, a crowd pleaser, you'll find it with this recipe, enjoy!

RIVER DELI

SATURDAY - MARCH 5, 2011



River Deli
32 Joralemon Street
Brooklyn, New York 11201
718-254-9200



We came here very specifically to celebrate my sister (March 8) and her husband's (march 6) birthdays. It's in a very unusual place that under the I-278, very well hidden. The food was pretty good and the ambiance in the area was very cute. The staff was very friendly and accommodating (we had a large group, so kudos to them!). This will not be a very comprehensive review of River Deli as we ended up ordering a bunch of appetizers and not everyone got to eat everything and they had some nightly specials that I can't seem to remember. Albeit, it really is my own fault for waiting until the end of April to write a review regarding a restaurant we went to a month and a half, almost 2 months ago. So what I do recall in my gigantic watermelon-like head is what we (Mike and I) had for entrees.


(*Note - I also do NOT have photos, I know, I know .... EPIC FAIL. sorry.)


WHAT WE ORDERED:

Mike: Malloredus Sardi Alla Campidanese (traditional short sardinian pasta with sausage, tomato sauce and pecorino cheese)

I had a little bit of Mike's dish but from what I remember it was quite tasty and delicious, it's a solid choice for those who aren't overly adventurous! =)


Sherry: Orata (whole grilled orata)

If you have NO idea what Orata is ... neither do I. LOL, just kidding! Orata is a white fish also more commonly known as a Dorada. It's a mediterranean fish very similar in taste to the Branzino (mediterranean sea bass). That's about as much as I know. Ha! If you want to know more about the (I was just interested in whether it was going to fill me up or not, coz I was hungry!) fish, click on the link I provided above. Originally I was going to order the eggplant dish, but very unluckily for me, they were OUT. How do you run out of eggplant?! Ha, so I went with the Orata and I was NOT disappointed, it was very tender and delicious, the flesh wasnt' fishy at all and it flaked at the touch of my fork! I was pleasantly surprised with the deliciousness and delicateness of this dish and the portion was great, I didn't feel overstuffed nor hungry. Excellent dish, I definitely recommend.


I think River Deli is an excellent neighborhood haunt, its a little out of the way to make a more frequent patronization if you don't already live in the neighborhood. I certainly would never have wandered into this direction and tried this lovely little resto had it not been at the request of the birthday folk!

Nuela

SUNDAY - FEBRUARY 27, 2011 (DINNER)


NUELA
43 West 24th Street
New York, New York 10010
212-929-1200

Website: http://www.nuelany.com/


** Mike and I came here for Restaurant Week and as I looked over their normal a la carte menu online, it seems to me that they did not make any special dishes or didn't offer anything on the resto week menu that they don't offer on the regular menu, which I think is fantastic! I think the only difference between the regular and restaurant week menu is the serving size.




They serve this bread as a complimentary dish. I don't recall the name of it but I do remember that it was made of yucca flour (very unusual!), but it gave the rolls a completely different texture, fluffier, almost spongy, delicious! The sauce on the side is a marscarpone mix with what appears to be honey drizzled along the side of it. The rolls are delicious on their own or dipped in the mascarpone sauce, either way ... a perfect start!


WHAT WE ORDERED:

The Appetizers

Mike: Smoked Brisket Arepas

(sweet plaintains/black bean queso blanco)

What can I say, this dish was AMAZING!!! The plaintains sit at the bottom with the brisket in the middle (no skimpy portions here! There was a TON of meat on these bad boys!) and sprinkled with the queso blanco and scallions. The plaintains were just slightly sweet, the queso was mild and the brisket was perfectly cooked, not chewy, not too salty, slightly smokey and the slight kick from the scallions was like a combination of flavors in your mouth that left you salivating for more! I would order this for an entree if there were such a thing! After the yucca flour rolls and now the brisket arepas, we were off to a FANTASTIC start, I couldn't wait for the rest of our dinner! Did I mention presentation (not that I really need to, you all can see for yourselves) was phenomenal. Sometimes presentation can really either make you want to eat something or push it away (ha!). If you keep reading, there will be nothing you see that you will NOT want to eat. Trust me.

Sherry: Black Kale Salad

(fennel/lemon vinaigrette/soft egg/anchovy/crispy pork)

So the presentation of this looked amazing, I was told that I was to break the egg (it's cooked overeasy) and mix the whole thing together. Whoever made the salad was a little heavy-handed on the vinaigrette but I felt the mildness of the egg helped cut the vinaigrette. The kale wasn't mushy, it wasn't raw, it was just right. The anchovy was not the stinky type, I almost didn't notice them in there until Mike mentioned that it was supposed to have anchovy, ha! The crispy pork was chewy as you would expect it to be, but that added to the texture and fun aspect of this dish. I would say that this was my least favorite dish, however, it was very fun, the salad itself was very good, very fun but nothing phenomenal or to write home about. I would recommend trying other appetizers, I picked the salad because I was trying to keep the calorie count down, a mistake in retrospect, but no crying over spilled milk now right? The waitress did recommend the spicy tuna ... maybe i'll try that next time ...

The Main Entrees

Sherry: Peruvian Chicken

(Whole smokey chicken/french fries/huancaina sauce)

Clearly I didn't get a WHOLE chicken and thank goodness! LOL! I got a drumstick, wing and breast which was an excellent portion serving in my opinion. The yellow sauce on the bottom is the huancaina sauce which is a potato, cheese, garlic sauce. It was very mild and went very well with the chicken. The chicken was very good (very moist!), not overly salty but it didn't impress me as a rotisserie chicken very much. I guess after being a patron of Pio Pio peruvian chicken, I was expecting a very flavorful chicken, instead it was just mediocre, even Costco's rotisserie chicken has more flavor (in my opinion). The manager stopped by to tout the chicken and aji (the green sauce on the bottom left of the photo) sauce and how it was "the best!" I didn't want to insult him as we still had dessert coming and I didn't want to have any spit end up in anything we were eating. The Aji/green sauce was good, there was no kick to it at all, which is a SHAME. Pio Pio's and Sophie's Cuban Cuisine have hands down the best aji sauce I've ever had and unfortunately, this one at Nuela didn't hold a candle to either (sorry, just being honest). The french fries were probably the best part of the dish. I've never had fries made like that, but they were very fresh and very crispy! Yum! I think the dish as an overall was good, a solid pick, but in retrospect (it's always 20/20 you know?), I think I should have been more adventurous.

Mike: Arroz con Pato* (*extra $5 additional)
(Crispy duck breast/confit thighs & gizzards/roasted foie gras/verde rice/soft duck egg)

Now, in regards to my last commentary to being more "adventurous" here is the definition as to why I felt that way. Mike ordered the arroz con pato and all i can say is, "wow". Everything in this dish jived together. Every piece of meat was moist and sooo very savory. The green rice, unusual, but so delicious and not overcooked, complimented the meat, the vegetables, the egg. There wasn't anything about this dish that was disappointing. It should be their signature dish. The portion was tremendous even though they dialed it down for restaurant week portions. I can't imagine what the regular portions of this dish is! I recommend that if you go to this restaurant that you do NOT leave the premises without ordering this dish! If you go, order it! Needless to say the additional $5 is well worth it.

The Dessert

Sherry (left): Chocolate (terrine/smoked banana/almond sorbet)
Mike (right): Churros (sugar & cinnamon/chocolate sauce)

By this point, the 2 of us were pretty close to maximum stuffedness, ha! But when the dessert came out, the real question became "how can you say 'No'?". The smoked bananas were a little overpowering if you ate it alone, but if you cut it with the almond sorbet, it became a decadent treat. The terrine (dark chocolate bar) was smooth, not bitter at all. Many dark chocolates are bitter and as a result, I don't like them as much, but this was a creamy, mild dark chocolate that was just very, very nice to your taste buds, excellent! The churros (a very traditional latin dessert) did not disappoint either. The churros came out piping hot and it wasn't utterly doused in sugar & cinnamon as often many street churro vendors will do. It was lightly dusted with sugar & cinnamon which allowed for you to taste the natural mix of the sugar with the doughiness of the churro, wonderful. The icing on all of this was of course the chocolate sauce. Churro Fondue! The churro is great alone, but equally as delicious with the chocolate sauce. The desserts were a terrific ending to our delicious dinner. Thanks Nuela! =)

THE REVIEW:

I think I don't have to spend much time telling you how much I enjoyed the food, as I think I did that already, lol! I guess what I will say is that the ambiance and art in the space was well imagined and presented. It's also very romantic in the main dining room (there are 2 separate dining rooms), there is also a bar/lounge area which is more modern, it's a well designed space. The restrooms are awesome! They're all individual co-ed restrooms. The waitress was very attentive, sweet, knowledgeable, helpful and never ever let our water glasses go empty, ha! I know that seems so trite, but I think that's such an important part of "service". It's a basic! Anyways, I highly recommend this restaurant. If you are adventurous and want to have a great dining experience, I think this a great place to go. If you're on the fence, get off the fence and GO! You won't regret it! =)

Winebar

SUNDAY - FEBRUARY 27, 2011 (NYC WINE TASTING!)


Winebar
65 2nd Avenue (@ E. 4th St)
New York, New York 10003
212-777-1608

website: winebarnyc.com


** Who says you have to go to a Vineyard to have a wine tasting! NYC is hands down one of the best cities in the world because it has everything apparently! =) Mike and I went to Winebar on a DailyCandy Deal (shout out!) for a wine and cheese tasting!


THE WINE:

(From left to right):

• Cava, Francoli, Brut Reserva, Penedes, 'NV
• Cabernet Sauvignon-Tannat, Chateau Peyros, Madiran, '05
• Malbec-Gamay-Cabernet Franc, Touraine Mesland, Clos de la Briderie, Loire'07
• Primitivo, Tratturi, Salento, Puglia, '08
  

*As a note - our waitress brought out the cheeses super late and Mike and I were super thirsty, as a result the Cava (esp. since it's a sparkling white) was not part of our wine and cheese pairing analysis. I'll only be listing what wines went best with what cheese, the rest of the details may otherwise just put everyone to sleep, ha!

(The wine and cheese presentation!)

THE CHEESES:

(From left to right with the best wine pairing listed next to the cheese name):

• Piave (cow), Italy :: Primitivo
• Abbey de Belloc (sheep), France :: Primitivo
• Mahon (cow), Spain :: Malbec-Gamay-Cabernet Franc

THE REVIEW:

Mike and I had so much fun here! While the staff was a little absent-minded at the beginning they really picked up the slack soon thereafter and they were friendly and very sweet and helpful! We really enjoyed our time there, it's a great date place! If you're looking for somewhere private (there was hardly anyone there but I think it might have had something to do with being sunday @ 4PM and the sun still being out) and cozy where you can have a conversation without yelling, this is definitely the place. We didn't try any of the food items because we had an upcoming dinner reservation at Nuela (next review! Stay posted!). But we definitely enjoyed the ambiance (lowly lit and very romantic) and the food on the menu looked interesting and smelled wonderful! We will definitely be back, maybe then I can give it a full and honest review! =) I definitely recommend going here! =)

Oms/b - Riceball Cafe

SATURDAY - FEBRUARY 26, 2011 (LUNCH)


Oms/b
156 East 45th Street (@ 3rd Ave)
New York, New York 10017
212-922-9788

website: http://www.riceball-omsb.com/


WHAT WE ORDERED:
(*Sorry no photos!)

- They have different meal packages, Mike and I had a Groupon for $12 worth of food from them. We decided to order 2 Set A's (3 rice balls + soup - $8.25). We ended up ordering 6 different riceballs just to try as many as we could and the soup was miso soup.

(1) Shrimp Tempura w/fried rice - this riceball was very good, but I felt that the shrimp tempura wasn't super fresh and so it was kind of chewy, but if you aren't super adventurous, I would definitely recommend trying this one. A solid riceball.

(2) Wasabi Shrimp - I really, really like this one alot! The shrimp is mixed in a thick wasabi-mayo sauce and it just meshes really well with the white rice that it's wrapped in. I loved this one alot! If you like wasabi and shrimp, you'll love this riceball! =)

(3) Eel w/egg flakes - I felt like the eel was good, but the mix in it of itself wasn't the most ideal. Not bad though, I'm slightly indifferent towards this riceball. It wasn't bad, it wasn't great, it just was. If you are not adventurous ... not highly recommended.

(4) Spicy Tuna - This riceball is not made with raw tuna you normally would think of. It's made with the canned cooked tuna. If you do NOT like canned cooked tuna (like Mike, LOL!) don't order this. I only discovered it after I ordered, luckily I like canned tuna. I thought it was a solid riceball, not spicy at all. A solid riceball and again definitely a SAFE riceball.

(5) Smoked Salmon w/cream cheese - This riceball is like eating lox and cream cheese except instead of it being on a bagel, imagine rice. The salmon isn't the smelly type so it was definitely a solid riceball, I would recommend this one. =)

(6) Shrimp Pop Corn - Next to the Wasabi Shrimp, this riceball is my next favorite! It does come in some sort of mayo sauce but I think that the flavors paired well! I would definitely recommend this riceball to anyone! Enjoy! =)


THE REVIEW:

Warning! The restaurant is really small and the staff is SUPER SLOW. However, the decor is cute and the food as an overall is good. I also think that this is a very fun place for a lunch date. It's so much fun to eat with your hands and the riceballs come in cute little bamboo boat shaped plates. If you are very hungry, you will be very sorry! Ha! The portions aren't large and if you wanna get stuffed you're gonna have to order a significant amount more. Also because the space is so small, you may not want to linger at the tables as the other patrons will start hovering over your table and shooting you dirty looks, lol. My last gripe about this restaurant is that they close early, M-F 7:30PM and Saturday 6:30PM, they are also CLOSED ON SUNDAY. So don't get your hopes up on a sunday.