Restaurant Week - Maze by Gordon Ramsay

Restaurant week, for me at least, is a hit or miss even at the best restaurants. One year I raved to one of my friends about Matsugen by Jean-George and we went for restaurant week to only be quite disappointed. Marcos and I went at least three times prior to restaurant week and then were so disappointed by restaurant week there that we never returned since!

Maze by Gordon Ramsay was really great! The portions were on the lighter side, but it was a nice change from being completely overstuffed by/after dessert.

My friend and I both started with the Butternut Squash soup with Duck Confit. The thickness of the soup was perfect and the saltiness of the duck added a nice touch to the soup.

Butternut Squash soup with Duck Confit

For the main entree, I selected the Classic Bouillabaisse Marseilles topped with cooked down fennel, crunchy garlic crouton and over a sauce rouille. This dish left me wanting more plus I was in love with the garlic crouton.

 Classic Bouillabaisse Marseilles

My friend had the Risotto with Mushrooms. I'm normally not a fan of risotto but really liked his entree.

Risotto with Mushrooms

For dessert, Vanilla Custard with Citrus Fruits and accompanied by brown sugar oats and a generous scoop of mandarin sorbet. The contrast between the vanilla custard and citrus fruits was so good. I didn't care for the brown sugar oats though.

 Vanilla Custard with Citrus Fruits

The Valrhona Chocolate Fondant with green cardamon caramel, sea salt and almond ice cream reminded me of a souffle. The consistency of the fondant was smooth and delicious; however, the dessert was definitely something that I felt that I could find elsewhere.

I'll have to return to Maze by Gordon Ramsay after restaurant week! Already recommended this place to Marcos for business dinners.

Love: Friday Night Dinner @ Abe & Arthur's in Meatpacking District

I'm usually not a fan of going to the Meatpacking District on a Friday or Saturday night... it's just too much. But somehow, when my friend and I didn't know where to go for dinner, we decided on Abe & Arthur's and it was amazing!

The restaurant is two floors and we were luckily seated on the second floor - much quietly with more room. For a party of two, we got seated at a four person table. Luckily we did, as we over-ordered as usual and our table was overflowing with plates.

Started with the Lavender Bee - Tantco Jalapeno Tequila, Lavender Syrup, Lime Juice & Honey. Loved it!! Definitely going back for more. We were aiming to each get another drink, but the drinks were quite strong, so we'll have to make another trip back.

Lavender Bee 

Started with some delicious popovers.

The Pot of Steamed Mussels were absolutely delightful. The white sauce consisted of garlic and tomatoes.

The Pot of Steamed Mussels

The Black Angus Sliders were sooo yummy. Topped with aged cheddar and Benton's bacon. The beef was so flavorful.I have to go back for more sliders.

The Black Angus Sliders 

The Jumbo Lump Blue Crab Crabcakes over a warm tropical salad and cilantro-coconut coulis was perfect. The cilantro-coconut coulis sauce added just the right touch for a unique and ethnic-like flavor like a little bit of India.

 The Jumbo Lump Blue Crab Crabcakes

The Tuna Tartare Tacos were mini and uniquely special. There was a bit of guac, citron-soy and red chili aioli. The shells were crunchy and everything put together created just the right texture and flavor - highly recommended. 

Tuna Tartare Tacos

From the Raw Bar portion of the menu, I couldn't resist the 1/4 lb of Peekytoe Crab. My fav. It came with a side of traditional cocktail sauce with horseradish and spicy mayo. This was exactly what I've been looking for from any seafood restaurant - a nice bowl of crab!

Peekytoe Crab

Of course I couldn't resist the Truffled Herb-Parmesan Fries. Fried to the perfect crunch and aroma of truffle in the air and in flavor. In addition to some fries, the Mac & Cheese with brown butter and breadcrumbs. The top layer crunchy and beneath an ample amount of cheese with each bit!!

 Truffled Herb-Parmesan Fries

&

Mac & Cheese

 Our finale, the Cookies & Cream Souffle that the restaurant requests ordered with your entrees. It was something beyond that I was expecting. The cookies and cream souffle was beautiful and amazing. Plus a side of homemade mini Oreo-like cookies and ice cream sandwich that perfectly complement the souffle.

Cookies & Cream Souffle

Highly recommended restaurant, but be prepared for an energetic and crowded place - best for a night out with friends rather than a first date or business dinner. Given that this establishment is actually known to be a steakhouse, I definitely want to return for the steaks and more Peekytoe Crab plus Truffle Fries and the Mac & Cheese and Tuna Tacos....which now reminds me that I haven't been to The Standard Grill in a while... I'll need to return there as well for the Lobster Roll and Baked Alaska!!

Love: Brunch @ M. Wells Diner in Long Island City

I have one of my very good friends to thank for this one. She read about M. Wells as a must visit restaurant and insisted that we had to go for brunch this weekend. What she didn't tell me was that M. Wells is a diner. I absolutely dread diners. But, this one is different and in my opinion, it just looks like a diner on the inside and out.

We met at 11:00am on Sunday and there was already a 45-60 minute wait. We actually ended up waiting close to 90 minutes - well worth the wait. The space is small but we were lucky to find a spot on one end of the place to hang out while we waited. While waiting, I noticed that the hours of operation are strangely unique, especially for a diner, closed Mondays and open Tuesday through Sunday 10:00am-4:00pm (then thought, wow, those are really nice working hours!).

Everything was amazing and absolutely delightful.

We started the meal off with Coquille St. Jacques. It was heavy, but so good that I wanted more. Inside of a scallop shell was a mixture of scallops, razor clams, shrimp layered with cheese. We each had one and it was perfect.

Coquille St. Jacques 

Then the dishes kept coming and we kept eating. The Fish Soup with fish rouille and cheese toasts. The soup had a unique smoky flavor and had a nice and smooth texture with the right amount of thickness.

The Fish Soup 

I'm still thinking about the Maine Shrimp. On the menu it appeared as though it was just a shrimp cocktail, but while ordering I decided to just ask about this dish and was pleasantly surprised to hear from our waiter that this was a unique dish on its own and definitely worth trying.. and it was. We were slightly turned off by the fact that we would have to peel the shrimp, but it was well worth the work. The Maine shrimp were all busting out with roe and just amazing. We have never seen anything like this!

Maine Shrimp

The Maple Syrup Playe - buckwheat crepes, may not have great appeal, but it was delicious as well. Each buckwheat crepe was soaked in sweet maple syrup. The edges are crispy. The combination was perfect. The menu changes frequently, but the crepes are a classic on the menu.

 The Maple Syrup Playe

The Seafood Cobbler had a cheesy layer of Gruyere on top of two biscuits, brussels sprouts, fish and bechamel gravy. 

The Seafood Cobbler

Every dish was unique and the names on the menu do not do justice for each and every one of these dishes. The Egg Souffle had a bit of an Asian influence with the bonito flakes (fish flakes) on top. Mixed with the souffle was a mushroom broth.

Egg Souffle

Tortilla Espanola was incredibly interesting - an egg for the outer shell and inside a potato and onion mix. It was so yummy... my friend declared it better than ones she has had in Spain.

Tortilla Espanola

And of course, I had to have my fries... They weren't as crispy as I would have liked, so I wrapped these to go. Later on in the day, Marcos heated them up in the oven and turned them into truffle fries!!

 

Hand-Cut Fries

We wrapped up our meal with their signature Maple Pie. The custard was amazing and had the perfect sweetness. I could not ask for anything better. Plus I'm not normally a fan of pies.

Maple Pie

M. Wells Menu

Our meal is definitely memorable. We actually ordered three or so times the amount the average diner was ordering! We just had to get the most out of our wait. For sure I will return, but probably when the weather is nicer out and not in single digits!

Date Night @ The John Dory Oyster Bar at The Ace Hotel

This weekend we were originally planning on making our way to the Lower East Side to The Meatball Shop; however, at 7:00pm on a Saturday night and already a 90 minute wait in a very tight and crowded place, we decided that The Meatball Shop would have to wait for a day when its either much warmer than 20 degrees outside or if we can get ourselves there around 5:00pm. So, we decided to head to midtown to The Ace Hotel's The John Dory Oyster. Neither place took reservations, but with The John Dory with a 45 minute wait plus the bar at The Ace Hotel, we decided to opt for the later.

The John Dory was a crowded place and we ended up getting seated by the door (which I absolutely hate), but decided to accept our fate anyways rather than ask to wait for the next table as who knows how long that would actually take.

The bar at The John Dory

The menu is filled with much variety and we sampled a bit from each section.

From the raw bar, we got a few oysters each and the Cold Poached Lobster with Tomalley Vinaigrette. It was half of a Main lobster with a vinaigrette made with the intestines of the lobster, which is essentially the green stuff. It was good, but nothing to rave about.

Cold Poached Lobster with Tomalley Vinaigrette

Next, came the Razor clam ceviche, which strangely, had the texture of scallops but tasted like clams. It was good, but Marcos was not really a fan.

 Razor clam ceviche

From the small plates, we selected a few items. The one we absolutely loved was the Burrata Cheese with Trout Roe. It is a fresh Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream. There is an outer shell that is solid mozzarella and the inside is a mozzarella and cream mix. The burrata with the trout roe was delicious! A must-have dish!

 Burrata Cheese with Trout Roe

We were also in love with the Oyster Broth Soup with Uni Spread on Crostini. The uni spread on the crostini was divine. Several others ordered this same dish. I would definitely go back for this. The oysters were huge and the broth was delicious. We loved everything about this dish!

Oyster Broth Soup with Uni Spread on Crostini

The last dish was the Octopus with Potatoes and Aioli. The octopus tentacle was huge with a bit of spice with the mashed potatoes. This dish was not particularly outstanding as many places do serve this as well. The interesting part was this was the hint of spice. 

 Octopus with Potatoes and Aioli

Overall, the food at The John Dory was pretty good. The experience was okay. We weren't pleased with the service as the place was being run by hipsters that were more concerned about looking "cool" than providing proper service. The service was below subpar - when our table was ready, the hostess (whose look reminds me of the Asian Hipster Grifter) called my phone twice and hung up before she actually didn't hang up and told me our table was ready. When I was speaking with her I told her that we were right where we said we would be in the waiting area, then she responds with "OOH" and hangs up. Incredibly rude and her gross appearance didn't help.

After we went home, Marcos wanted to make a gluten-free cheese pizza. This is something he's been wanting to try for a while and first attempt was success. He took a unique approach - layered on parchment paper mozzarella and baked it at 350 degrees until it was crispy. Then, spread a layer of marinara sauce with another layer of mozzarella and sliced pepperonis. Baked again at 350 degrees. In a short amount of time - viola! Cheese pizza! Delicious!!

Love: Date Night @ Quattro Gastronomia Italiana

Date night started with a couples massage, followed by some shopping in SoHo. I was elated to see that stores are now up to 70% off. I made some incredibly purchases at All Saints on Broadway and I found a few great pieces from Marc by Marc Jacobs and Diane Von Furstenberg's pre-spring collection. We were both having such a great time shopping we were late to our 7:30 reservation, but the restaurant was incredibly understanding and was happy to seat us at 8:00pm.

Our decision to select which restaurant was made quite easy. I purchased a gift certificate from Gilt City in December for Quattro Gastronomia Italiana in the Trump Soho hotel. It was a great deal - choice of any 2 antipasti, 1 primi, 2 secondi and 2 desserts from the menu for $110. Immediate purchase without a doubt!

Dinner was excellent and my hard-to-appease boyfriend was overly satisfied with his meal. The service, food and ambiance was perfect. It got quite loud at times, but we felt like we were in our own world with our delightful meal.

We started dinner with the Carpaccio Di Manzo Con Rucola E Scaglie Di Parmigiano Reggiano (thinly sliced raw beef with fresh arugula, lemon dressing and parmesan flakes) and Polipo Del Mediterraneo Su Tortino Di Patate Prezzemolate (Mediterranean Octopus on top of a bed of mashed potato with lemon dressing and parsley). The carpaccio was perfect and enjoyed every bite as well as with the octopus. Both very simple dishes but done to perfection.

Carpaccio Di Manzo Con Rucola E Scaglie Di Parmigiano Reggiano

Polipo Del Mediterraneo Su Tortino Di Patate Prezzemolate

For the Primi Piatti course, I selected Raviolini Del Plin Al Foie Gras E Saba (ravioli stuffed with fois gras with creamy fois gras sauce). I've had similar dishes elsewhere and it was incredibly salty, but I could not pass up fois gras. I was deciding between the white truffled ravioli and the fois gras ravioli. The diners to my left and right had the white truffled ravioli and it was so fragrant. For my next visit, I will definitely have the white truffle ravioli. As for the fois gras ravioli, to my surprise, the fois gras has a nice hint of sweetness to it. The dish was incredibly well done and I enjoyed every bite, despite the fact that I was getting very full already.

Raviolini Del Plin Al Foie Gras E Saba

Next for Secondi, I had Branzino Intero In Crosta Di Sale Marino, which was beyond delicious. It was simple yet extremely flavorful. The fish was baked in a salt crust which brought out the natural flavor of this Mediterranean Sea Bass. The autumn vegetables were delicious with purple potatoes in the mix.

Branzino Intero In Crosta Di Sale Marino

Marcos had the Ossobuco Di Vitello In Gremolata Con Risotto Alla Milanese, braised veal with saffron risotto. This dish was beyond extraordinary and he was absolutely in love with his entree. The braised veal was cooked to perfection with the bone marrow in the middle. The saffron risotto was unique on its own with a cheese and served inside a cheese crusted shell. The three parts together complemented each other perfectly.

Ossobuco Di Vitello In Gremolata Con Risotto Alla Milanese

The perfect ending to our meal was dessert. I had the Lemon Napoleon and the flaked layers went fabulous with the lemon creams in between. The mandarin sorbet added the perfect citrusness to the dish and I was in love with the candied kumquats.

Lemon Napoleon with Mandarin Sorbet and Candied Kumquats

Marcos selected the poached pear, which appears to be poached in red wine since the pear was so dark. It was well-paired with the Italian dessert, zabaione. The two parts together was not only a beautiful presentation but also incredibly delicious.

Poached Pear with Zabaione

Overall, we were over-the-top satisfied with our dinner. Date night was perfect and the only thing that I wished I had done was to purchase an additional Gilt City certificate for this restaurant. Marcos has already determined that he's taking one of his vendors here and I definitely plan on making another trip to try the other dishes that I was eyeing on the menu.

Love: TenRen Green Tea Mochi

I am a HUGE fan of anything green tea (as far as I know)... from the actual tea to ice cream and cake. I recently discovered, thank you to my dear co-worker, Green Tea Mochi from TenRen.

Little did I know how obsessed I would become over these delicious little treats! It was love at first bit. I loved the soft chewy texture of the mochi and the delicious green tea jam oozing from the first bit. It was perfection. I wanted more and wanted to buy as much as I could to fulfill my desire. I was thrilled to find them available to purchase on the TenRen website, but I was in terrible dismay to find that they were out of stock!

I said to myself... "it's okay, I will just go to the store in Chinatown this weekend and it will be okay". To further my dismay, I find out from one of the Store Associates that this is an incredibly popular item and sells out quickly and will not be in stock until MARCH!

I have to wait three LONG months now to re-fulfill my green tea mochi desires... This is a must-have in my life once available in stock again.

See below for more information taken from the TenRen website.

Starting the Year off Right

Every year I try to find a more unique New Year's resolution rather than just to lose weight. One year, I cut soda out of my diet completely and now I seldom drink soda (maybe once or twice a year).

My Resolutions for 2011:

1. Learn a creative trade - possibly knitting.
2. Find a new job.
3. Contribute more to my savings.

Sounds generic enough, but these are easier to achieve than to just lose some weight (though I should work on that too). I joined The Sports Club/LA a year and a half ago on the Upper East Side and I was really good about going, but most days I find it really hard to get myself all the way there. My gym isn't conveniently located by my apartment or even on the way home, so usually it is a struggle to get myself there.

I've always wanted to learn how to knit and I think making it a New Year's Resolution will get me there. I'll look into classes in the Spring time when it's much nicer out and I'll be more willing to leave my apartment on the weekends.

As for the new job, it's about time for me to find a position back in the Buying world.

I would like to contribute more to my savings as well. This will be a battle. It's only the second day of the New Year and I couldn't resist the after Christmas sale at Bloomingdale's. I'm starting the year off right with some Chanel and Prada shoes.

The Chanel sandals were on sale from $575 to a nice $199.99. The Prada flats, not so lucky, I purchased them full price. The oversized bow made it the must-have for me. Also, I was grappling with myself on these Chloe boots.. the ones with the straps that wrap and criss-cross around and up the boot. So gorgeous. After trying them on, I realized that they're not as comfortable as I had hoped, so there I saved myself from spending another $800 on shoes. Whew~

Now for the next 363 days, I need to have more will-power.

The Homemade Holiday Cards - Season's Greetings!

As I started to receive requests for my address mid-November, it dawned on me that the Holidays were right around the corner. Usually, I would purchase my holiday cards, but this year I decided to make them a little more special. Inspiration - most of my friends have a pet or child now and they are the ones on the holiday cards. I really don't think anyone would want a picture of Marcos and I, so I ventured out on ideas and little did I know what would come to fruition....

My first stop - Paper Presentation in the Flatiron District. This is an amazing store for all sorts of paper, invitation and craft needs. I purchased two different size hand hold punchers along with glitter and paper.

First, I hand hole-punched a snowflake design.

With some calligraphy practice, I wrote "Season's Greetings" on each card.

Added dots of glitter and viola!

Each card took approximately 45 minutes to make.

 

One month and two dozen cards later, my project was complete.

This was definitely a fun yet time-consuming project, so I'm not sure when I'll do this again.