Bushwick Brunch

Once word got out about the food at Roberta's, it was tough to get in the door.  After The New York Times gave it a two star review, it became dang near impossible.  Yesterday, Jen decided that's where she wanted to go for brunch and no line was going to get in her way.  The solution was to send her ever dutiful husband to the restaurant to put our name on the list about 45 minutes before we knew we wanted to eat.

We arrived just in time to sit down at one of the rustic wooden tables and do a little people watching while we decided what to order.  If you like stalking hipsters, this is premium hunting ground.  I saw enough plaid to outfit an entire Scottish clan in kilts for every day of the week.  Matt and Jen started by sharing a sticky bun that I didn't try but was apparently good enough to make Jen linger by the door on the way out, debating whether or not to get another one for the road.  It wasn't that it didn't look good, but I had my own breakfast pastry on the way.  A fresh Southern style biscuit soon arrived that was warm, fluffy, and the perfect vehicle for the homemade jam served alongside it.

Roberta's began as a pizza joint so one of those had to make its way to the table.  Jen decided on The Bee Sting, which was topped with mozzarella, sopressata, chili, and honey.  The spicy and sweet went so well together and the crust was the perfect thickness.  Matt ordered the fried eggs served with beef tongue (prepared breakfast meat style) and potato hash and I ordered the pork shank with kale, poached egg, and French beans.  No complaints from either of us.  The dishes were hearty and everything on the menu utilized creative combinations.  After looking at the dinner menu, I realized I'm going to figure out some way back to Bushwick aka Hipster Haven, USA.

Hunky Dory

After watching the Dawgs secure their spot in the SEC championship, I left the bar to grab a glass of wine and an appetizer with Dan and Brian who were both visiting for the weekend.  Brian was staying with his brother in Chelsea and has become obsessed with the nearby John Dory Oyster Bar so we decided to go for their happy hour special ($15 for a glass of cava and a half dozen oysters).

As a native of the low country, I am not used to oysters being expensive fare.  $3 for an oyster seems outrageous to me.  At home they are a fraction of that price, I suppose just one more perk to living in the South.  Here, however, oysters are nowhere close to cheap so while Dan and Brian each ordered the happy hour special, I decided to get two appetizers in the hopes that I would get more for my money.  That plan didn't really work since the appetizers arrived and were miniscule.  They were, however, delicious.  I ordered the sea urchin with pomegranate and the chilled crab with avocado.  My first taste of sea urchin was a delight.  I imagined it would be slimy, but the texture was not at all off-putting.  It was so light, I could barely feel it sitting on my tongue.  It tasted slightly of the ocean with a faint sweet flavor that was nicely accented by the sweet pomegranate.  The presentation inside the spiky shell was simple but elegant.  The second appetizer was also of cute proportions and served inside a shot glass.  A thick layer of avocado mousse was topped by a thin, somewhat spicy layer (cocktail sauce? chile sauce?) and then finished off with the crab.  Anyone who has had a california roll has tried this flavor combination, but everything was so fresh that this somehow felt new.    

They may have been tiny, but they were perfect bites.  The only problem was that after polishing them off, I wanted more.  As far as a raw bar goes, The John Dory puts out high quality seafood.  If you're used to low country prices, you will not be happy to shell out the high prices they charge.  In that case, I suggest going during happy hour for a glass of wine and a small but succulent appetizer.  It's hard to hate on the prices when the food is just so good.  I don't recommend going crazy, but a little taste before you get real dinner elsewhere is just what you need every once in a while.

3 on Thursday

This week has gone by fast, which is nice because if I have to wait much longer before I go home for Thanksgiving, I may burst.

For some reason, I never watched Friday Night Lights.  I'm not exactly sure why, but I think I had the idea it would be too cheesy.  Then I watched the latest Emmys and saw Twitter blow up with loyal viewers proclaiming their love for the recently cancelled show whose actor won the coveted award.  Now, I figured, would be the perfect time to get into this show.  Perhaps I should have started before the show ended, but I suppose I wasn't on the cutting edge with this one.  I have started watching from the beginning via Netflix and am now obsessed.  Clear eyes.  Full Hearts.  Can't lose. 

Can you guess what this is?  It's an antique rubber stamp holder that Karina was using as a candelabra last week at dinner.  I was drawn to it as soon as I entered the apartment.  

On Tuesday, Steph and I went shooting, and I learned I'm pretty good with a .22, as evidenced by the bullseye above.  I should hang this on my front door as a warning to potential suitors.  We went to the gun range with Urban Girl Squad, a networking group for young NYC girls.  If you're looking to try new things around the city, check this group out.  They do everything from Bollywood dancing to volunteering.  The shooting event really called to me and I have a feeling I'll be stopping by Westside Pistol and Rifle Range (Manhattan's only gun range - right smack dab in the middle of Chelsea/Flatiron) to let out some aggression.

Squid Savior

My after work activities placed me close to Eataly last night, so I popped in to pick up a protein for dinner.  I decided to go with squid because it was late and I knew that would cook up quickly.  If you want a simple and tasty meal, listen closely, my friends. 

When it comes to squid, I like a mixture of the bodies and tentacles, but if all those arms freak you out, go with just the bodies.  Cut the bodies into rings and leave the tentacles whole and throw them into a pan with olive oil, lots of garlic, and red pepper flakes to taste (I like a good amount, especially if you add tomato sauce).  While you're cutting/sauteing, boil up some pasta, preferably spaghetti or squid ink linguine.  You could either leave the squid as is and toss with the pasta with olive oil, salt, and pepper (if you're going for an aglio e olio vibe) or add a little pasta sauce to the pan and then toss in the pasta.  I was in a tomato-y mood, so that was the direction I took last night.  I mentioned I like spaghetti with this dish, but I had ziti on hand and it still worked.

This dish is ready in minutes.  Seriously, it's so easy and whenever squid is involved, people are impressed.  Even the fried calamari at TGI Friday's makes people go wild - imagine what homemade squid would do for your guests.  The best part is that squid is actually pretty cheap.  For only about $7/lb, you can get a lot of calamari for your cash.   

Served with fresh mortadella and mozzarella focaccia from Eataly

Back Forty Brunch

Pork jowel nuggets and doughnuts.  I'm just going to throw those two things out there.  How often do you see those to items listed next to each other as appetizers on a menu?  The answer is "not as often as you should" (though doughnuts are très fashionable right now).  Avery was visiting from DC before flying to Israel so we made sure to order plenty of goodies for her last American meal.  There are few ways to improve on pork belly, but giving it a fried casing and serving it with jalapeno jelly is a dang good start.  The doughnut was served warm and drizzled with a homemade concord grape glaze.  The glaze was very sweet, but there wasn't too much of it so it gave me just enough sugar before my savory meal.  I'm always a savory over sweet girl when it comes to brunch but usually crave just one bite of something sweet and this did the trick.

For our entrees, both Avery and I ordered what could be described as messy bowls.  Mine consisted of quinoa, poached eggs, forest mushrooms, kielbasa, and butternut squash.  Avery's had brisket, poached eggs, red beans, and pickled red onion.  The eggs were perfectly - and I do mean perfectly - poached.  Once broken and mixed with the rest of the ingredients, a sort of soup formed.  I usually like each element on my plate to stay in its own spot.  Starch should not touch protein, which should not touch vegetable.  This dish laughed in the face of that mentality, but my OCD didn't mind because it tasted so good.

Back Forty builds a solid brunch by sprinkling special ingredients into regular brunch items.  Sweet potatoes invade the pancakes and quinoa walks around in poached egg territory.  These updates will easily get me to return.  As will the drinks.  I had a great bloody mary and Avery had a hard apple cider that I know I'll be craving every weekend as it gets cooler.

Karina Cooks

On Friday night, Matt, Karina, and I continued what we are trying to make a monthly tradition: little dinner parties for each other, alternating hosts.  This month was Matt and Karina's turn and Karina prepared an amazing dinner.  Matt's participation was limited to sous chefage and cheese picking, though his cheese selection was superb.

Place card featuring the menu - love seeing "Guest of Honor" next to my name; it makes me feel as famous as Beyonce.

The first course actually consisted of three appetizers, so I'm not sure you could consider it one simple course.  Karina prepared two crostinis, one with ricotta and roasted heirloom tomatoes and another with mushrooms and chives.  Both were good but the heirloom grape tomatoes were sweet, juicy, and perfectly roasted - I'll be stealing that recipe (one of several I'll be taking from the evening).  We also had a cheese plate with cornichons and olives.  This is where Matt came in handy. He raided the Trader Joe's cheese section and came back with a gorgonzola, a truffled something (does the type really matter - it's truffles and cheese, nuff said), and a mushroom brie. 

For the entree, they had prepared Moroccan chicken that was made with an interesting blend of spices including cinnamon and [I think] cardamom.  Whatever spices they used, they were good.  The chicken was served alongside sauteed kale that used a total of three ingredients: kale, garlic, and dried cherries.  Garlic and kale seems like a no-brainer but the sometimes bitter kale went perfectly with the sweet cherries, which also tied the vegetable to the Moroccan flavor of the chicken.

For dessert we had biscotti with a twist: port wine.  Karina has spent a significant amount of time in Italy and explained many Italians traditionally dip their biscotti in port.  This is a custom I can get behind!  Port is not something I usually order or buy for myself, but I may have to get in the habit because it was a wonderful way to end the meal.  I feel like drinking port is a baroque pastime, akin to retiring to the library for brandy and cigars.  Hey, if it aint baroque, don't fix it. 

Book Review: The Postmistress

Most WWII stories take place in Europe, once the war is in full swing since that seems to be the most gripping point of view.  Sarah Blake's novel, however, approaches the war from the American side, just as they are learning what is really going on in Europe.  But this story is about more than the war; it is about three women and how they handle news and shocking realities.  They must each decide if some things are better left unknown and if someone has the right to shelter others from the truth rather than the duty to share it.

The novel starts off slow but picks up by the 2nd half when the characters begin to connect.  Because a central point in the novel is that every story goes well beyond the brief moment you see - everyone has a back-story - I would have liked to learn more about the pasts of these three women and maybe even more of their future, particularly Emma, the Dr.'s widow.  The calm yet somewhat tense tone of the novel echos the calm before the storm moment in American history, yet I would have liked a little more action to award it more than 6 out of 10 stars.