Tag: New York City

Keens Steakhouse is a famous restaurant in New York that has been around since 1885. Everyone who visits New York must go there at least once. It started as a smoking lounge. To this day there are wooden pipes lining the walls and ceiling around the restaurant. Back in the day smoking lounges were for men only but in 1905 they opened their doors to the first female patron.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

While looking over then menu, the waiter brought over fresh veggies (olives, pickles, carrots, and celery) along with a homemade bleu cheese dip. This was perfect to snack on while deciding what to order.

There was an appetizer that caught my attention on the menu. It was simply thick bacon slices. I figured fresh bacon in a steakhouse was going to be amazing. And I was absolutely correct. They grilled this bacon until it was crispy. It was very meaty and not a lot of fat the way pork belly usually is. If this was not shared it could easily be someone’s meal.

I ordered a bowl of lobster bisque. The broth had a nice creamy texture. There were a few pieces of lobster meat but not a lot. I would have liked a little more meat to go along with the flavorful broth.

For my dinner I ordered the 8oz filet mignon. They prepared it to medium temperature. It was a little rarer in the middle than I would have preferred. Nonetheless, the seasoning on the steak was great, both savory and salty. The steak was juicy as well.

Since this is a traditional steakhouse all of the sides are A La Carte. So, we ordered a few for the table to share. Creamed spinach is a traditional steakhouse companion. The spinach was chopped up very fine and mixed with creamy cheese. It was almost like a spinach dip. I wished there were tortilla chips to accompany this dish.

What else goes with meat but creamy mashed potatoes. And these potatoes were extremely creamy.

The last side was the steamed asparagus topped with hollandaise sauce. The sauce was great. However, I did not enjoy the asparagus as much because it was steamed. I prefer it to be stir fried or grilled up. It adds a little more texture.

Now it was dessert time. There were classic options to choose from, but I ordered something unique. I ordered the Berry Bibble. It was partly because the name made me laugh and partly because I was interested in what this was. It was a blend of cherries and raspberries in a sauce that was topped with whipped cream. It was like a cobbler just without the crust. The fruit and sauce was sweet but extremely tart. The cream helped smooth that out.

The meal I had at Keens Steakhouse was great. The bacon was probably my favorite part. Check out all of their history at www.keens.com

Enjoy!

T

So here I am, back in New York City. It’s lunch time and I have found another sushi restaurant to try. This time it is A.B. Sushi.

This was the perfect place for lunch in-between my meetings. Luckily for me I got there a few minutes before the lunch rush. While I was sitting there I watched the place fill up.

• 

• 

I ordered the Maki Lunch, which was a great value, especially for New York. It came with salad, soup, and two rolls.

The miso soup had a generous amount of seaweed leaves and a little tofu. The flavor of the broth was savory. I wish they had included more tofu in the soup.

For the salad, the ginger dressing was a little different from others I have had. It was creamier and slightly sweet. It was till full of ginger flavor.

My rolls came out beautifully on the plate. The first roll I got was the spicy tuna. This is always my go-to-roll. I never seem to be disappointed by this option. This roll had a crunchy rice on the inside that added a unique texture to the tuna.

My other roll was the eel and avocado. The eel was fresh and paired well with the creamy avocado. It to is always a good go-to-roll for me. They drizzled a generous amount of the sweet eel sauce on top. This is my favorite part of an eel roll.

This was a perfect quick spot to grab lunch. They had a few more Japanese specialties on the menu that sounded good, but I highly recommend the sushi.

Check them out at www.absushinyc.com

Enjoy!

T

I was invited out for a nice dinner in New York and was taken to STK – Midtown.

• 

• 

Even though we had a reservation, our table still was not ready when we got there. So, we headed to the bar to grab a cocktail.

• 

• 

I decided to order the Troublemaker. They used Ketel One Botanical vodka – peach ad orange blossom, which was mixed with rose wine cordial and club soda. This cocktail was extremely refreshing. It was almost like a sangria in taste, just without all the fruit. I will have to try replicating this drink when I am at home.

Once we sat down at our table, our wonderful waitress brought over some fresh made pop-over bread. They served it with a creamy blue cheese butter. The bread was amazing. It was so hot that the butter melted instantly when it hit the bread. The sweetness of the bread paired well with the tangy blue cheese.

A few appetizers started coming out. First was the Big Eye Tuna Tartare. The tuna was so fresh, it cut easily with my fork. They included avocado with the tuna because they are the perfect pairing. The slices were put on top of a soy honey emulsion, that added both a sweet and salty accent. They placed the tuna/avocado mixture in-between layers of taro chips and stacked them high. The chips added a great crunch.

The second appetizer was Nueske’s Smoked Bacon. I was expecting thin slices of crispy bacon to come out. It ended up being a large slice of pork belly. They covered it in a balsamic BBQ sauce. It tasted like they seared it on a grill to get it crispy. I really enjoyed the edges of the bacon because it was extra crispy. I liked the pork belly this way because it did not feel as fatty.

The last appetizer was the crispy calamari. This was a safe dish that was cooked up pretty traditionally. They also served blistered shisito peppers on the plate as well. These were a nice added element that added extra flavor but no heat.

I ordered a filet mignon for my dinner. It was a small ounce steak, but I got crabmeat on top. I thought I would try a little land and sea combination. The steak was cooked to a perfect medium. It was tender and juicy. The crabmeat was sweet and buttery. It complemented the salty taste from the beef.

The sides all came on the side to share. The lobster mac and cheese was a must try. The macaroni was so rich and creamy. There were large chunks of lobster meat mixed throughout. It was a good think I was sharing this side. It was so rich there was no way I could eat this by myself.

The tater tots were a fun side. They were the largest tater tots I have ever seen. The potato itself was tender and they fried it just enough to make the outside crispy.

The parmesan truffle fries had the best presentation. These were thick cut fries, even larger than the typical steak fry. They took these fries and stacked them on the plate. It was easy to grab them. There was no need for ketchup with these fries. There was only a slight hint of the truffle. The parmesan cheese is what stood out on these fries.

I had a wonderful dinner at STK. The flavors for everything I ate were great. It turns out they have a couple of locations across the country. Check on their website at www.STKHouse.com for a location near you.

Enjoy!

T

I was invited out to a wonderful Italian dinner at Casa Nonna in New York City. I love Italian food and I was excited to try a place I had never been to before.

We started off at the bar while we waited for our table to be ready. I ordered a Bellini Classico. This was a traditional peach Bellini. They used peach nectar and caposaldo Prosecco. It was tasty. The peach flavor was strong but not overpowering. I ended up have a few more that night.

When we were walking to the table I noticed the wood fire oven in the open kitchen.

I also was mesmerized by all the artwork they had on the wall. It was all perfectly in place.

• 

• 

While I looked over the menu, the waiter brought out some homemade crackers. They had melted Parmesan cheese on top. There was also a slight spicy taste to these crackers that I was not expecting. They were really addicting to eat.

We started off with some appetizers to share family style with the table. The Mozzarella Carrozza was some of the creamiest cheese I have ever had. The buffalo mozzarella was also super soft. Included on the plate were heirloom cherry tomatoes and a basil pesto. The tomatoes were very sweet and tasted almost like sweet peppers.

The Calamari Fritti was classic fried calamari that was tossed with julienne vegetables that were also lightly breaded and fried. They used peppers and zucchini. The breading was the right amount so that it would add a little crunch. They served a lemon-chive aioli on the side. It had a nice tangy taste, but I preferred the calamari plain.

The last appetizer out was the Polpettine. These were beef and pork meatballs with ricotta cheese on the side and covered in a pomodoro sauce. The meatballs were light, tender, and moist. Exactly what I am looking for in meatballs. The ricotta cheese added an overall creaminess to the sauce.

For my dinner I ordered the Truffle Ricotta Gnocchi. I absolutely love gnocchi, so I could not wait to try theirs. I could smell the truffles as soon as the plate was placed in front of me. The gnocchi were in a white wine garlic parmesan sauce. It was savory and totally delicious. Tossed in with the sauce were wild mushrooms and fava beans. The beans added a creamy texture. These were some of the best gnocchi that I have had in a long time.

Since we filled up on so many appetizers as well as our main dishes, there was no room for dessert. I will have to go back just to try them. This was an amazing restaurant filled with classic Italian dishes. I would recommend this place to everyone.

Check them out at www.casanonna.com

Enjoy!

T

Over the last several years every time I visit New York City I try to stay at the same hotel. The main reason is because it is close to so many things. There are restaurants all around this hotel and I thought I had tried them all. Well it turns out I had missed one. Mew is located between two other restaurants in the building’s basement.

I was excited about this new find. I thought it might be able to be my new go to restaurant near the hotel. I had to wait till they opened at 5:00pm before I could head down the stairs.

It did not take long for the place to fill up. It was very cozy with the dim lighting and the music that they were playing.

I started off my experience with a cocktail. I ordered the Mew Breeze. They used sugarcane shochu, vodka, cranberry juice, grapefruit juice, and a splash of tonic water. It was sweet and went down easy. I had to be careful not to drink it too quickly.

The first dish I ordered was the Sushi M.  This was like a deconstructed sushi roll. It was a really cool visual presentation. It started with a based of sushi rice. Then it was layered with spicy crab that was shredded, spicy tuna chunks, and avocado slices. On top of all that was Ikura, Tobiko, seaweed, spicy mayo, and eel sauce. It had all the elements of sushi. The only way to actually eat this was to break it down and combine all the ingredients together. The tuna and crab were fresh and the avocado slices were extremely creamy.

The other dish I got was the Yaki Udon. These udon noodles were sautéed with beef, onions, and mushrooms. The beef was thinly sliced and tender. The sauce they used was sweet with a slight salty taste. Overall the dish was savory. The noodles were my favorite part. They soaked up the flavor from the sauce and they were soft and tender. The onions were there to add a crunch.

I am so glad I found Izakaya Mew near my hotel. This will definitely be my new go to restaurant.

Check them out at www.mewnyc.com

Enjoy!

T

So if you have been reading my blog lately you will see that I have been on an Italian food kick during my travels. There is something about Italian food that is comforting and is a great go to meal.

While visiting New York again I went to a wonderful Italian restaurant called Villa Berulia. It was a quaint place that was actually much larger inside than it appeared outside.

• 

• 

• 

• 

I started off with a glass of Merlot as I looked over the menu. I also enjoyed the fresh made garlic bread. The bread was loaded with garlic and had a nice crunch.

• 

• 

• 

There were many Italian favorites to choose from. It really came down to what sounded the most intriguing. There were two appetizers that I ordered for the table. I thought these would be great start to the meal. The Clams Oreganata sounded really delicious and not something that I had before.

These are clams that are sprinkled with seasoned breadcrumbs and then baked till crispy on top. These little morsels were so tasty. The clams were tender and full of oregano flavor.

The other appetizer was fresh avocado slices that were topped with fresh crab and shrimp. The avocado was soft and creamy. It went really well with the sweet lump crab meat. The shrimp were tender and sweet too. The combination of ingredients worked perfectly together.

For my main dish I ordered the chicken picatta. The chicken was thinly sliced and lightly breaded. Even with as thin as the chicken was it remained juicy and tender. The overall flavor of the dish was rich and savory thanks to the wonderful sauce that was poured over the chicken. There were a few capers in the sauce that added a slight salty taste when they were part of the bite.

There was a pasta that came of the side. It was chopped up into bite size pieces which made it a little easier to eat. It was only in garlic butter but there was enough of the sauce from the chicken that I was able to mix in the pasta. It was really good and could have been a dish on its own.

I was able to save a little room for dessert, especially when they rolled out an entire cart.

I had to go after the red velvet cake. It was a huge slice that luckily I was able to share with the table.

The cake was moist but slightly dense. It had a rich velvet texture. The cream cheese frosting was sweet and extremely creamy. It was slightly on the thick side. It went perfect with the coffee and Baileys that I ordered.

This was a great restaurant and I would definitely want to go back for another meal. Check them out at www.villaberulia.com

Enjoy!

T

Sometime restaurants in NYC can be misleading in their size. I experienced this first hand. I walked into Croton for dinner and noticed that the restaurant itself was small inside (typical for a New York place). But to my surprise, they had a basement area which is where they offered their weekly happy hour.

     

I had to go hang out at the basement bar. I ordered a red sangria since it was there on happy hour special (which is lucky for me since those are one of my favorites). There was a hint of spice to the sangria. It was just missing the accent of fruit.

They had an eclectic offering of food to choose from. I ordered the Scotch Eggs. It had been a long time since I got to enjoy this dish.

These hard boiled eggs were covered with a thin layer of seasoned sausage. They had a thin layer of breading as well. This allowed the outside to be crunchy. They were cooked perfectly because the sausage was still moist and the egg was soft. They served a chipotle aioli on the side but it tasted more like a mustard. It tasted really good with the sausage and egg.

I also got to try the Croquette. The mashed potatoes had prosciutto mixed within. Then they were lightly breaded and fried.

There was a crunch from the breading but the mashed potatoes were creamy and soft. There was also an extremely sweet taste to the potatoes. The prosciutto did not add much saltiness.

Who could pass up Truffle Fries? I couldn’t! The table next to me ordered them and they smelt so good when they came out. So I ordered them. They were actually garlic truffle fries. The garlic aroma complemented the earthy smell of the truffles.

These dishes I ordered were small so I saved room for dessert. I went for the apple tart with cinnamon ice cream.

The tart pastry was crispy on the outside and gooey inside with sweet, tender apples. The cinnamon ice cream was full on cinnamon flavor. It had a natural taste to it, not that artificial cinnamon taste. The ice cream was tremendously creamy. The taste made it the perfect fall dessert.

I am so glad I checked out the unexpected basement at Croton. They had some great munchies and of course happy hour drinks. Check them out at www.crotonnyc.com

Enjoy!

T

If you are in the area of Madison Park in NYC and you are looking for a quick place to get lunch, check out Dos Caminos.

They have a really fun look inside with colorful wall art; beautiful wooden chandeliers, plus a fully stocked bar for many cocktail options.

     

     

The first thing I started with was the fresh made guacamole. This  is one of the things Dos Caminos is known for. The fresh avocados are mashed in a molcajete (a mortar and pestle made of stone). Then fresh, chopped onions and fresh cilantro are added. The guacamole was extremely creamy and still had a few chunks of avocado throughout. The tomatoes added a little sweetness from the juice. The fresh cilantro added a little peppery spice. It was perfectly paired with tortilla chips.

To also go along with the chips they offered three kinds of salsa.

(1) Green Chili – this was my favorite. It had a slight tangy taste.

(2) Roasted Pepper – I could taste the smokiness from the peppers actually being roasted.

(3) Tomato – this would be considered a more traditional salsa except it was on the runny side and there were no chunks of tomato; it had the consistency of a juice.

I ordered the Sopa de Tortilla for my lunch. This soup was made with a spicy roasted tomato broth that was creamy and thick. It was loaded with grilled chicken, pasilla negro chiles, avocado, and queso menonita.

It was topped off with crunchy strips of tortillas. The soup had a great flavor with only a slight amount of heat. I wish a little more of the chicken was included. It was very tender.

I saw on the menu that one of the sides they offered was Mexican Street corn. They offered it on or off the cob. I went for it off the cob. I figured it would be easier to eat. The corn was sweet, which was complemented by the tangy mayo/sour cream sauce. The coija cheese was sprinkled on top of the corn. This too added a slight tangy flavor.

Dos Caminos was a nice place to grab lunch. I would be interested to see what their dinner menu looked like. Visit their website at www.doscaminos.com

Enjoy!

T

There was a fun, hipster restaurant that I ate at in New York that served classic comfort food. Mom’s Kitchen and Bar has a retro diner feel. Instead of a juke box, the music symbols and band names are all over the menu.

They offered a fun selection of cocktails with equally fun names. I did not even know you could still get Bartles and Jaymes wine coolers. If you are craving one of those 80’s treats then Mom’s is the place for you.

Since I was there with a friend, we went for the “Big Ass Cocktails” that they offered in 32oz. pitchers. They were only $16 which is an amazing deal for New York City! We ordered the Dirty Shirley. I loved Shirley Temples as a kid. So I could not wait to try the adult version.

It was a playful presentation with bendy straws and a rubber duck.  The drink had that great grenadine taste. They used a generous amount of vodka, which made it pretty strong.

The menu was full of homemade comfort foods. I went for the crispy chicken and gravy, which came with two sides.

The serving size was huge. I got two large chicken breasts that had been marinated in buttermilk. They were tossed in a breading that was loaded with their house secret seasonings. The outside coating was extremely crispy. That crust helped seal on the juiciness of the chicken.

They served a side of peppercorn gravy with the chicken. I dipped a few pieces of chicken in the gravy and it added a whole new level of flavor to the chicken. The gravy reminded me a little of the gravy that comes with chicken fried steak.

I got the homemade mac and cheese as one of my sides. The cheese on top created a nice crispy layer. Past the top layer was the creamy macaroni. It was cheesy, salty goodness.

The other side I got was the Brussels sprouts. Unfortunately these were just steamed, so they were kind of mushy. They would have been better if they were fried or sautéed in a little garlic.

Mom’s Kitchen and Bar  was a fun, unexpected find in New York City. I will be going back because I want to try one of their adult soda floats. Check out their menu at www.momsmidtown.com

Enjoy!

T

I was visiting a friend in New York and she wanted to take me to a great restaurant she found in her neighborhood. It is a Peruvian restaurant called Pio Pio. I had never had Peruvian food so I was excited to get to experience it.

Like all New York restaurants it was fairly small inside but luckily we were able to get a table. The smell of food filled the air.

     

What perfect way to enjoy dinner with friends than with a pitcher of sangria. They offered both red and white options. We went for the red. It was semi-sweet. All the fruit was chopped up into bite size pieces.

There were several items on the menu that sounded delicious. It was a hard choice but I went with the Salmon Guajillo.

This was a large piece of salmon that was baked in a guajillo chili and chardonnay sauce. The skin on the salmon was extremely crispy. I loved the crunch. It had a great salty taste. The fish was super flakey which made a few of the bites difficult to eat because I could not get the salmon on my fork. The chili-wine sauce was amazing. It was a savory sauce.  The salmon came on top of mashed potatoes and steamed spinach. The potatoes were nice and creamy and tasted great with the extra chili-wine sauce.

My friends I was dining with let me try the dishes they ordered. They knew I would want to write about them. The one dish was the Ceviche de Conchas. These were scallops in a cream sauce. The scallops were very tender. The cream sauce paired so well with fresh scallops. The sauce helped make this simple dish filling.

The other dish was the Pollo a la Brasa. This was a rotisserie chicken that Pio Pio is actually known for. You can order it as a small piece for yourself or as a whole chicken to share family style. The chicken had a great savory herb flavor. The meat was extremely juicy.

It was dessert time. We decided to get something that we could all share. We went for the Tartufo.  This was a blend of vanilla and chocolate gelato. It had a cherry and almond center. Then the whole thing was coated in a chocolate shell. Luckily for us they cut up this dessert into four pieces. It made it much easier for each of us to take a bite.

The gelato was creamy and smooth. The combination of vanilla and chocolate was a classic pairing. The cherry center mixed with the chocolate shell and gelato to recreate the taste of a chocolate covered cherry. This dessert melted fast, so you have to eat it quickly.

I had a wonderful meal at Pio Pio. I am glad I got to experience Peruvian food. Plus I had amazing company. If you are visiting New York and want to get away from the tourist areas, head to Pio Pio. Check out their menu at www.piopio.com

Enjoy!

T