Thursday, August 27, 2015

Throwback Thursday Deliciousness

Last month I spent a week in the overwhelming sweaty Sunshine State, Florida. While there I didn't get to do as much eating as I would've enjoyed, but I did get to hit up some favorite spots as well as some new ones. 

One of our favorite places to visit while there is the Beach Comber Resort in Pompano Beach. With overnight accommodations, a private pool, private beach, and good dining, who would miss out on a trip here? Usually we go there for the day and use the private beach and pool, but the deliciously small menu doesn't hurt either. With dishes ranging from mahi mahi to burgers, there are options for everyone. 

I'm a really big seafood lover, so when I saw "Tropical Lump Crabcake" I was automatically in. Served on a bed of greens with a chipotle ranch sauce, and a tropical chilled avocado salsa, I was automatically in heaven. 
 This dish was the perfect of hot and cold with a little kick of spice from the chipotle ranch sauce. My only real complaint that it was over and maybe I could've used a little more avocado (but in reality, who couldn't use more avocado always?). For anyone who knows me personally, you would not be surprised by my choice of this dish based on only the fact that it had some type of ranch. I'm OBSESSED with ranch so maybe my opinion of the dish is a little biased, but that's okay there wasn't even a crumb left. 

My uncle is another fish lover, he went with the Fish Tacos. Mahi Mahi topped with a key lime coleslaw, cilantro sour cream, cheddar, and fresh pico de gallo on three warm tortillas served with chips and salsa (naturally). If I had the chance to try them I would've, but considering he demolished the dish in 5 minutes I'm guessing they were pretty good haha. 
I did get to steal some chips and salsa and it was pretty good. Crunchy chips and refreshing salsa. 

The meal also consisted of multiple burgers, fries, chicken fingers, and an array of fancy frozen delicious cocktails. If you are ever in the area or thinking about vacationing, The Beachcomber is definitely somewhere to look into! There are also other resorts on the same strip that rent jetskis and have other activities that could be a lot of fun. 

My family lives in Boyton Beach which is just a short ride to West Palm Beach. West Palm is known for being a little more commercial, especially in the area called City Place. There is a lot of shopping, dining, and fun stuff (movies, arcades, etc.) to do over here. My favorite obviously being food. I have a really big sweet tooth, which I'm sure those of you who have read my previous post know. My aunt basically forced me into trying macroons. Never really sure what a macaroon was, it wasn't really something I went out of my way to try. If emojis were an accepted form of communication on all platforms I would insert multiple heart eyes right now. 

A macaron is a light cookie made with egg whites, sugar, ground almonds, and/or coconut. They come in a variety of flavors. I tried a couple, including lavender and vanilla, but I fell in love with raspberry and salted caramel. I really love anything jelly related, and who doesn't love a nice salty caramel food experience? I went back to Le Macaron like 3 times just to get more. Luckily, it's a chain and I will be making my way to an NYC store as soon as I can. 
My first thought based on the appearance was that they would be hard or crunchy, which is why I never really looked into trying them (I like everything mushy and undercooked). When I bit in, I fell in love. The crunchy outside is immediately put aside by the soft and sweet center filled with cream of sometimes jelly. The best part about these is that you get relief of your sugar craving but it's not over powered in anyway. I tried macrons from another place, but I was disappointed so I'll stick with my Le Macron and their expensive treats :) 

City Place is also know for a sweet shop called Sloan's. Sloan's is known for their unique ice cream flavors, homemade waffle cones, dipped apples, fudge, multiple candies, and whimsical gifts. There are multiple locations in Florida and one location is California.

Walking in the store you feel like a little kid. It really is like being "Wonderland" which is what they aim for. It's fun to just walk around and look at all they have to offer. I naturally could not resist going in and trying something. And of course that something was ice cream. My grandma got ice cream too, which you'll see soon ;). The ice cream was good, a good consistency and tasty. They definitely had some unique flavors and a concoction of toppings and cones to choose from. 

I got the Southern Butter Pecan and the Cookie Monster. I stick to what I know usually because I hate being disappointed when it comes to my food (fatty for life). I wasn't disappointed, it was really great. 

I don't even remember what my grandma got, all I know was that it was soft served and dipped in chocolate shell and she was loving it. 
Gramz dove right in, I'm glad she enjoyed it and I'm also glad I got this picture. 

So when in Florida; Le Macaron, Sloan's, and Beachcomber. There are a couple of other places I haven't gotten to try yet on my trips, but I'll get there hopefully haha. (Currently writing this post while sitting in a workshop, food is obviously my number one priority!) 

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Fancy Fixings

There's been a place I was dying to try but it was a little out of my price range. Considering I haven't started my career yet, I can't afford to splurge on delicious meals as much as I would like. I usually opt for more affordable delicacies haha. But when Restaurant Week rolled around in NYC I jumped on my chance to indulge. Restaurant Week is Bi-Annual in NYC, a week in the winter and in the summer. For the two weeks throughout the year trendy restaurants offer a pre-fixe menu for lunch and dinner at discounted prices allowing bargain hunter foodies (like myself) a chance to try new food. They are always adding restaurants to the list of offerings as well as keeping some classics around allowing you to revisit them. If I had the chance to go to more, I would've. I kind of didn't realize it was restaurant week until it was half way over and I new it was my chance to finally try Fig & Olive. 

Fig & Olive in NYC has three locations; Meatpacking, Fifth Avenue, and on Lexington. They also have locations in Westchested, California, Chicago and D.C.. Fig & Olive combines food from Italy, France and Spain, mostly coastal and Riveria cuisine. Their core ingredient is olive oil and they specialize in pairing each olive oil with the appropriate dish. They have over 30 different types (which I didn't even know existed, honestly hah). I made a reservation and grabbed my two best friends and we headed there. 

The design of the restaurant was truly elegant. Everything was very modern and bright, and the decor matched the theme of the establishment; lots of olive plants and figs encased in glass. They had chandeliers and a jeweled sculpture that was beautiful. You had the option of ordering off the regular menu and the pre-fixe. I chose the pre-fixe so that I could have more options, my friend millicia did as well. We started off with an olive oil tasting of  three different types and some bread for dipping. I started with the Truffle Mushroom Croquette.  
Cremini mushrooms, Parmesan, bechamel sauce, and a truffle olive oil aioli. These were truly to die for. So delicious, I didn't want them to end. It was probably my favorite thing from the whole experience and I would go back just for them. Sort of like fried mac and cheese balls but lighter and tastier. Nothing like anything I've had, and thinking of it makes me want more.

My friend Millicia had the Zucchini Carpaccio. It's fresh, raw zucchini chilled and placed with lemon, pine nut, parmesan, and topped with picholine olive oil. 
It was a very refreshing and light dish. I'm a big zucchini lover so I was a fan. But I definitely wouldn't choose it over the crimini mushroom truffles. 

For the main course, I went with the Paella Del Mar. It featured black tiger shrimp, calamari, mussels, saffron rice, green peas, red bell peppers, artichokes, saffron aioli, pimenton, oregano and cooked with hojiblanca olive oil. 
Truthfully, I thought the portion would've been slightly larger and the calamari was a little over cooked for my liking (I'm Italian, I know properly cooked calamari ;)). Other than that, the dish was very tasty. Not the best paella I've ever had but it was pretty good. The saffron rice and hojiblanco Olive oil really paired well together and gave it a great taste. I also liked that it was served in a mini wok. I would probably try it again. 

Millicia got the Grilled Thyme Chicken Paillard. Grilled chicken breast marinated with lemon and thyme, served with arugula, spinach, Brussels sprouts, tomatos, almonds, bell peppers, lemon, and finished with arbequina Olive oil. 
This was a hearty portion, but described as ordinary. I didn't try it personally but my friend said it was good but not something she would come back for. It did really seem like something you could get anywhere. Nothing else seemed inviting to her on the prix-fixe menu so she went with something that seemed  fimilar. 

My friend Jen didn't order off the prix-fixe menu and ended up getting the Filet Mingon Panini. Sliced filet Mingon, tomato, marinated portobellos, fontina cheese, caramelized onions, and a Rosemary mayo. This was served with a side of mixed greens dressed with a fig balsamic dressing, and Mediterranean fries.
Jen ate this like a champ, she absolutely loved it. And considering she has the stomach capacity of a small child, me and Millicia split the other half haha. It was delicious, seasoned great and very filling. All of the ingredients paired well with one another and the Rosemary mayo was refreshing and delightful. The fries were cooked and seasoned perfectly and were very very tasty. All in all it was a delicious dish. 

And what would any meal be without dessert? Nothing, duh. The prix-fixe menu offered two desserts, so Millicia and I each got one. 
 Dessert #1 was a Dessert Crostini featuring strawberries, mascarpone, and balsamic shortbread with micro basil.  All I can say is, disappointing. The crostini lacked flavor and by the time we got the dessert the mascarpone had hardened and just wasn't very inviting.

Dessert #2 Panna Cotta à L'orange featuring orange panna cotta with cookie crumble strawberry & basil jam and orange sorbet on the side. Definitely the better dessert option, I enjoyed most of it. The sorbet was melted which was a little disappointing but overall the Panna cotta was pretty good and I enjoyed the overall taste. It wasn't overpowers by orange which made me like it even more. 

So overall, I would say Fig & Olive may be a little too fine of dinning for the taste of my close friends and I haha. I would probably go back and order off the regular menu and give the place a second chance. It's a truly beautiful establishment and captures the essence of the Mediterranean. The emphases on Olive oil is such a cool and different concept. I give a lot of credit for taking something so simple, making it complex, and pairing it with foods that only bring out each eccentric individual quality. 

Saturday, August 8, 2015

A Brooklyn Classic

If you grew up in South Brooklyn, your favorite part of leaving P.S 58 or coming home from work in the afternoon was stopping at Joe's Supperette, grabbing a couple of rice and prosciutto balls, and going to Carroll Park. No one had balls like Joe's and it was a classic South Brooklyn staple. It was something that you could rely on, that you grew up knowing. It didn't matter how old you were, you knew about Joe's and you would only want riceballs from there. A couple of years ago, unfortunately, Joe's closed due to the death of Leo. A truly tragic loss, both for the business of riceballs and the person that Leo was. Up until recently, I couldn't get my hands on any rice balls that lived up to Joe's. Other businesses would try, but they could never compare. Thankfully to a great family friend, Aaron Falcone, I finally had the balls that I've been missing from my life (bahahaha). 

Aaron has been making these rice balls for a while, and I finally got a chance to try them. He offered me some, and I picked them up without hesitation. My inner fat girl was jumping for joy and I cojuldnt wait to fry them up and have a taste. 

Look at that sizzlllleeeee! 

I think I over fried them a little but Flo was taking to long to do it, and I couldn't wait anymore (thanks, mom *rolls eyes* haha).  But that didn't stop them from being absolutely delicious. They tasted just like Joe's, possibly even better. The consistency was right, they had just enough crunch, and they were nice and creamy and didn't have to much pepper which I definitely appreciated. 
Look at those beauties! Nice big chunks of prosciutto and they even have the same coloring that Joe's balls had. Ugh I can't tell you how grateful I was to have them. A very big thank you to Aaron for giving me back a piece of my childhood and reminding me what it's like to have a decent riceball. You wouldn't think it would be so hard to find decent balls in Brooklyn, but it really is. Although nothing could live up to those afternoons at Joe's and getting greasy rice balls from Leo, Aaron is the guy to go to! You can find him on Facebook! 

Saturday, August 1, 2015

Big Mouth Strikes Again

After a very long week and a half, me and my best friend, Millicia, were due for a reunion. What better way to commemorate a friendship than by eating a glorious meal together? We couldn't think of a better idea either. So, with this in mind we made our way to the city to Broadway Bites. The day started off rocky because as usual we decided to wing it on the train and get off were we thought was right instead of checking (typical, I know). Then we find out that our train isn't running, and of course get off at the wrong stop. Deciding what we should do is never easy, so we like to flip a coin. The coin toss decided that we would make our way 20 blocks to Broadway Bites. We schlep our way there, and of course can't find it. Upon googling to find the correct location, we learned that we were standing in it. The the problem, you ask? We were actually 5 days late because it ended on the 26th (LOL, our bad). So we took a cab to choice B, and boy were we grateful. 

Choice B: The Smith on 3rd Ave between East 10th and 11th. (They also have locations in Midtown and Lincoln Center)

I heard really great things about this place so I was happy to get it considering our original plan was foiled. After browsing the Saturday lunch menu, we decided on a couple Watermelon Fizzes, the Mac&Cheese for an appetizer, and we each got a BLT+E with fries. Let me tell you, not one thing was a disappointment. We were actually elated that our whole day was a mess up until that point, that's how good everything turned out. The atmosphere of the place is really chill and cool. There's music playing in the background but not too loud where you can enjoy the company of who you're with. They have a full bar, plus a variety of brunch and other special cocktails and beers. A MUST TRY. 
Watermelon Fizz: Fresh Watermelon, Gin, and Champagne. So light and delicious and even to give you a little buzz without feeling like you wasted your calories on a drink. They change the fizz for the seasonal fruit and I love love love watermelon so we were both happy campers. 

Mac&Cheese: Taste like your typical beschamel sauce with cheddar and maybe some Gruyere cheese. Cooked in a skillet and brought to the table still sizzling. The sides and top get a nice crisp while the middle is nice and cheesy with pasta cooked to perfection. It might be just as good as S'MAC (just a couple blocks away actually!). Very filling though, we couldn't finish it all but very very delicious yummmmmmy. 

BLT+E: Bacon, lettuce, and tomato + a fried egg finished with mayo and a nice hearty side of French fries dipped in Sir Kensington Ketchup (all natural, only 2 grams of sugar!). Me and Mill love a good croissant, bacon is love no matter what it's on, and the tomatoes were so fresh they crunched. It was honestly delicious. The fries were cooked perfectly, nice and crunchy on the outside and nice and smooth on the inside. Ugh the only complaint I had was that it was over. It was so good I never wanted it to end. And I'm definitely going back to try other things on their menu.

We always have room for dessert, and we're both suckers for ice cream. Since we already tried a couple of places in the East Village already, we wanted to try something new. We decided on a place called Mikey Likes It on Avenue A and East 13th. This place was so cool. Just a little shop with minimal seating, but the vibe was so great and the employees were really nice and helpful. The clock on the wall is dubbed with inspirational people from the 80s and 90s, like Kevin McCallister(Home Alone), Salt N' Pepa, and of course The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air(Will Smith). They have flavors also inspired by inspirational figures, like the Larry Legend (vanilla custard with pieces of chocolate donut, vanilla cake, and elephant ear cookies), Ice Ice Baby (tripled vanilla, featuring three different types of vanilla beans), and Cool Runnings (coconut ice cream with coconut and dark chocolate shavings and toasted almonds). And concoctions that range from the Mac Daddy (ice cream sandwiched between waffles), 2 Live Crew (milkshake with your choice), and Milli Vanilli (float with your choice of coke or rootbeer and ice cream), you'll always be satisfied. I obviously got the Larry Legend in a cup, Millicia got the Chocolate Thunder (quadruple chocolate churned ice cream) in a sugar cone. Really really really great organic ice cream. They can even make ice cream lactose free and vegan if requested in advance.
 
To learn more about The Smith and to see the menu visit the website at Thesmithnyc.com. To learn more about Mikey Likes It Ice Cream, to view the menu, and inquire about services (they do wedding receptions!) visit their website at Mikeylikesiticecream.com