August Astroturf Soiree

I recently carpeted my patio with astroturf and figured that was as good a reason as any to throw a party, so I set up a bar, donned a party dress, and got to cooking.  By the time we were ready to head to the bar, every crumb of food was gone and we had made a serious dent in the liquor, so I'm deeming the party a success.  Here's a rundown of the menu:

• Potato wedges.  Matt was impressed by how crispy the potatoes were.  He asked if they were fried in duck fat.  They weren't, but I took the fact that he thought they could have been as the highest compliment.  I served the potatoes with - count 'em - two dips:
1. Curry mayo
2. Truffled ricotta (thank you Whole Foods for this delicioso spread, it made my mouth happy)
• Prosciuotto/asparagus bundles
• Grilled corn, cremini, and shrimp quesadillas.  Made with two cheeses (jack and fontina) and served with pico de gallo and avocado
• Lemon artichoke tapenade, artichoke, and steak crostini

Of course, all the food tasted better because we were eating on my impossibly green astroturf.

What a Name

After a filling dim sum lunch we moseyed from Chinatown to SoHo to walk off all the shumai, turnip cakes, pork buns, and taro puffs.  The goal was to burn calories, but that was a lost cause once we spotted The Best Chocolate Cake in the World.  That's quite a claim, isn't it?!  I had to find out if they were just cocky or if they had the goods to back it up.  Since the proof is in the pudding (or in this case, cake), I bought myself a slice.

First impression: too sweet.  Next time I would try the bittersweet instead of the semisweet (those are the only two cake options).  I did, however, really like the texture.  There were about 8 thin layers of alternating cake and meringue with a layer of not-too-thick, fudgy icing dripping down the top.  It was too sweet to make it through a whole slice (even though the slice isn't that large to begin with), which is a shame because one small slice will set you back $6.50.  The brocade style mini cafe is cute and great for a grab-n-go panini or espresso, but I'm not sure I would make it a destination.  Though tasty, I think "best in the world" is a tad inflated.

 

Japanese in Chinatown?

This is a very special weekend.  Dave's friend Andy (who you may remember from our Indy 500 trip) is visiting on his first ever trip to NYC!  We have taken it upon ourselves to make sure he has an amazing trip so I have turned into Tess, cruise director extraordinaire.  While we were finishing up at work, Andy got most of the touristy stuff out of the way, meaning we take over when it comes to local food and fun related activities, starting with dinner last night.  Usually, I'm the one coming to the table with interesting restaurant options, but Dave really came through on this one after receiving a tip from a co-worker.  I [warily] trusted him, and off we went to meet up with another Indy pal, Jimbo and his sister.

Let me set the record straight on two things regarding Chinatown East:

1. It is not in Chinatown.   In fact it is all the way in the UES on 3rd, between 92nd and 93rd.  While I am perfectly comfortable in the UES, some of you readers out there may worry about getting a nosebleed all the way up there.  Get over it.  It is well worth the trip uptown.
2. You don't go there for Chinese food.  You don't even look past the sushi menu.  I don't even know if they serve Chinese food there.  Keep reading to understand why.  

The reason I say you don't look past the sushi menu is because of their all-you-can-eat deal.  You can get all-you-can-eat sushi for $25.95, all-you-can-drink sake, beer, and wine for $14.95, or the jackpot all-you-can-eat-and-drink deal for the ultra-low price of $31.95.  Don't believe me?  I agree, it's outside the realm of imagination for such a deal to exist.  That's why I've included proof:

I was a little nervous that we would be walking into a dive, but the restaurant was clean and surprisingly nice inside.  We started the evening off with a round of sake bombs (yes, included in the price).  Now it's a party.  Fueled with sake and beer, we sought to try everything on the menu (why not, when it's all included?!).  The sushi was also worlds better than I had anticipated.  Since they're practically giving it away, I thought we would be getting the dregs of the sea, but the fish was quality.  Not Morimoto, but better than a lot of neighborhood sushi places out there.  

The whole bill with tax and tip came to $40.55 a person, which is amazing considering how much food and alcohol you can squeeze out of this place.  It may be a little far uptown, but I'm always up to traveling for a good deal.

Holey Cow

You may think black holes only exist in outer space but oh no, a few months ago one opened literally around the corner from my office on 9th between 52nd and 53rd.  Holey Cream is a doughnut and ice cream shop that dips their doughnuts in icing and toppings to order.  I call it a black hole because I know once I go in, I'm never coming out.  I'll lock myself inside and eat everything.  My strategy was to keep a safe distance by walking on the other side of the street.

Yesterday, Wendy threw a wrench in my plan of avoidance by bringing one of their doughnut ice cream sandwiches straight to my desk.  She had chosen a doughnut with plain icing and no toppings (which include cookies, candy, and cereal) and stuffed with cookies and cream ice cream.  How did I not think of this great doughnut/ice cream combination of forces on my own?  I scold myself for having an underdeveloped imagination.  Halfway through the bite, the textures meld together.  I would recommend sharing and maybe some utensils because it was huge and messy.  Miraculously, it was just under $5 so if you're sharing with an equally gluttonous buddy, you've found yourself a great deal.

A Fishy Week

Top Chef is better when I cook my own meal to go along with it, as I learned this evening.  While I am gravely disappointed about the judges' decision for Kenny to pack his knives and go, I was comforted by the fact that I'm still the Top Chef in my own kitchen.

Tonight's dinner marked my third fish meal in a row.  It's my own homage to Shark Week.  Sushi last night, today's Mediterranean lunch at Milos, and a Mediterranean-inspired fish meal tonight.  I may soon sprout gills.

As I mentioned in my previous post, work has got me stressin', and nothing relaxes me like cooking and enjoying a meal.  I had already taken out some halibut, so I knew that would be the centerpiece of the meal.  For the main course, I modified a recipe I found on Epicurious (paprika halibut with olives, onions, peppers, and mushrooms), served with feta cous-cous, and then I attempted to replicate the haricots verts from last week's dinner at The Standard Grill.  The aroma was on target, but it was missing a little something.  I think there may have been some nutmeg in addition to the cinnamon at The Standard, though I can't blame them for wanting to keep a few tricks up their sleeve.  My version was not exact, but it was still a great side dish.  The meal was nice and healthy and made me feel a little better about watching Kenny get kicked off, though I know he would have re-created the haricots verts dish perfectly.

Munching at Milos

I'm going to tell it like it is right now.  Work is HARD.  We are super busy which means everyone is putting in some long hours, stressed to the max.  In my opinion, the best way to relieve stress is with a great meal, which is why I headed out to a nice lunch with some coworkers once we got everything in the office under control.

Milos, a Mediterranean restaurant specializing in fish, is easily one of my favorites in Midtown, which is why I can't believe I was so irresponsible as to not blog about it before.  If you work in Midtown, this place is a must because they have a phenomenal $25, 3-course prix fixe lunch.  They graciously give you four choices for each the first and second courses and two choices for the dessert course.  It's nice to have so many options on a prix fixe menu, but I don't need so menu choices because I always order the same thing:

• Course #1: Meze Plate - Heaping portions of fava bean hummus, taramosalata, and tzatziki served with cucumbers, olives, a pepper, and a mini spanikopita.  Ridiculous.  Do not pass this up.  Every dip is amazing.  The tzatziki is unreal.  I had no idea they could make yogurt this thick. 
• Course #2: Loup de Mer - Sea bass served with broccoli.  The fish was light (necessary after the heavy first course) and the broccoli was nice and buttery.
• Course #3: Usually, I go for the berries but our waiter did such a good job describing the honey walnut cake that I was swayed.  I'm glad I tried something new, particularly because the lavender honey ice cream was delicious.  It tasted light purple.

The meal was as good as ever.  Actually, this time it was better because we sprung for an extra appetizer for the table.  After sitting down, we noticed a server placing an impressive structure on a neighboring table.  After our waiter described the Milos special - a tower of lightly fried, paper thin rounds of zucchini and eggplant surrounding more of that luxurious tzatziki and garnished with cubes of fried cheese - there was no way were were turning back.  Bring it to us now, we said.  It came to the table looking like Jenga for veggies.  If all kids were told they could topple a tower of "chips", pick them up with their hands, and dip them in some of that yogurt, they would all eat their veggies.

After a meal like that, work worries...what work worries?

Book Review: Look at Me

I'd picked this book up and put it down at Barnes and Noble countless times, not sure if it would be for me.  Finally I decided it was time.  The stamp on the front denotes it was a big time award finalist, so I figured it had to be worth my time and I finally picked it up and walked it to the register.

I thought I liked it...until the end.  Throughout the novel, you know the lives of the seemingly separate characters are going to converge, and they do.  But what happens next?  You receive some sort of closure (but not full - I suppose I'm greedy, but I want to know more) from one character but have no idea what happens to the rest.  After 415 pages, I've built a connection to these characters and the author, Jennifer Egan, has spent all this time developing them.  After all that, we deserve to know what comes next.

2.5/5 stars.