Author: gatorgirl.outoftheswamp@gmail.com

Hell’s Kitchen has become famous for their food thanks to a few cooking shows on television. I figured when I was in New York I should head on over and have a great Italian meal at Il Forno.

I did not have a reservation so I as worried about getting a table. There were several large parties but the hostess was able to find me a table.

The inside was decorated to look like an Italian village. The walls looked like buildings that had windows complete with flower baskets on the window seals.

It smelt great inside because of their big wood oven for their pizza.

I ordered the wild mushroom risotto. It was super creamy, loaded with parmesan cheese and truffles. They added to the creaminess by putting goat cheese on top. The risotto was cooked perfectly – not to hard or soft. The truffles added an earthy taste to the cheese.

I also ordered a side of roasted brussel sprouts. This dish was unique compared to how I normally get brussel sprouts. They shaved their so that they were small, thin slices. They were cooked with thick crispy chunks of bacon, which added a saltiness to the bitter taste of the brussel sprouts. Then they topped them off with ricotta cheese that added a creamy taste.

The risotto was very rich so I had no room left for dessert which was a bummer. From what I could tell, the other guest were loving what they ordered. If you want a great homemade Italian meal in Hell’s Kitchen then you must visit Il Forno, Check them out at http://www.ilfornonyc.com/

Enjoy!

T

Located in the neighborhood of Chelsea sits a cute restaurant called Tipsy Parson.

It is a cozy place that is darkly lite on the inside to help create an intimate mood. The décor also makes you feel like you are dining in someone’s home with wall paper that looks like bookcases.

    

Naturally, I had to start off with a cocktail. I went for a drink named the Tipsy Palmer. It was sweet tea, mint, lemon, and vodka (there was also an option to use bourbon). It was not sweet at all and certainly not overpowering. It was a great choice to go with the flavors of the appetizers that we chose.

The menu has a Southern flare to it so all the appetizers were takes on Southern classics. They all sounded delicious so we ordered one of everything. First out were the deviled eggs, which were piled high with filling, and the hush puppies. The deviled eggs were creamy but not spicy at all. The hush puppies were made with red corn. They were light and fluffy with a ton of flavor.

The fried pickles were made from thick deli style dill pickles that were a little spicy. They were very juicy when I bit in.

The final appetizer were the corn dogs made with Andouille sausage. They had a little heat to them; the sausage were in a natural casing so they had a little snap when I took a bite. They came on sticks just like corn dogs you would get at a state fair. They were pretty addicting to eat.

After tasting all the appetizers, the hush puppies were everyone’s favorite and we ended up getting a second plate of those.

I knew that all the food we started with was going to fill me up pretty quickly, I went lighter on my main dish. I ordered the Aurora salmon. The fresh piece of fish was served with a celery root puree that added an overall creaminess to the dish. It also came with roasted rainbow cauliflower with a celery-horseradish vinaigrette.

The skin of the salmon was cooked to be extra crispy. It added a salty accent to the fish. The cauliflower was perfectly cooked with a little salty taste too. I had no idea that cauliflower came in an array of colors.

For dessert we decided to get two options and just share them among the table. The first one we knew we had to try because it was the name of the restaurant – The Tipsy Parson. It was a bourbon soaked almond cake served in a mason jar. It was loaded with dried fruits which added texture. It was all covered in a “tipsy” whipped cream and toasted almonds. The presentation was beautiful and fun.

The second dessert was the sticky sorghum cake. The cake was covered in a toffee glaze. It was sweet and definitely sticky because of the glaze. It also came with a side of vanilla gelato. The gelato was covered in a powder that reminded me of crushed up ginger snap cookies.

If you are looking for a place to have Southern food made with a New York twist, then head to Tipsy Parson. Go with an empty stomach so you can enjoy everything! http://www.tipsyparson.com/

Enjoy!

T

 

I was in between meetings in the Theater District of New York so I decided to get a quick lunch. I had passed by Natsumi and thought a quick sushi lunch would be perfect.

It was a cute little space with a few tables.

  

There was space at the sushi bar so I grabbed a seat. It is fun for me to watch the chef’s make the sushi.

I started off with a bowl of miso soup. It was the typical soup, nothing special. But it was the perfect way to warm up from being out in the New York cold.

I ordered two rolls for lunch. I got a tuna avocado roll. The tuna was extremely fresh. It melted in my mouth when I took a bite. I ended up adding a little wasabi to make the tuna a little spicier. Then the creamy avocado balanced out the heat.

The other roll I ordered was the eel and avocado roll. I love eel at sushi restaurants. This eel was tender and cooked perfectly. They put a generous amount of the sweet eel sauce on top. It was the perfect complement to the tuna that I made spicy.

Natsumi was a great find on the streets of New York. It’s the perfect example of what New York is known for – the unexpected. If you are in the city, get out there and walk around. You never know what you will find.

Check out Natsumi at http://www.natsuminyc.com/

Enjoy!

T

 

 

New York has so many wonderful restaurants that have been around for decades. There was one place everyone told me I had to try – Junior’s. When I asked why they are so popular it was always the same response – the cheesecake. So upon hearing that consistent answer I knew it was a must visit for me.

I was lucky that one of their locations was near my hotel in Time Square. They were crowded when I got there but I did not have to wait too long for a table.

  

They have a pretty big menu. I knew I wanted to start with the matzo ball soup. It was that classic yellow broth that I knew would be salty. It came with egg noodles and one giant matzo ball. I had to cut into the matzo ball carefully so I would not cause the broth to spill. It was a bowl of classic comfort food.

For my main dish I wanted to try one of their famous steak burgers. I got mine with American cheese melted on top. The burger was huge. The meat was extremely juicy and had a great chargrilled taste. As an added bonus they toast their buns which adds a little extra crunch.

The burger also came with a side of onion rings and steak fries. The fries were nice and thick, classic diner style. The onion rings had a cornmeal like breading that made the onion rings sweet. It was almost like corn dog breading.

With the portions being pretty big, I was too full to have cheesecake while at the restaurant. I could not leave without a slice so I made sure I got one to go. They had an abundance of choices when it came to their cheesecake. To help make my decision, I went into their special room behind the red velvet curtains.

When I walked through I was greeted by two glass cases filled with different cheesecakes as well as other desserts. I called it a special room, but it was really a small take-out section of the restaurant.

   

I got the classic NY style cheesecake to go. No toppings, just pure cheesecake. When I got back to my hotel room I dove right in. It was so sweet and creamy. It had an extremely smooth texture and it was moist. Sometimes cheesecake can be dry but not this slice. It was perfect.

If you are in New York and have a sweet tooth or hungry for a great burger then head over to Junior’s. You will not be disappointed. If you want to get hungry now, check out their menu at www.juniorscheesecake.com

Enjoy!

T