Bites and Sips Around the City

January 9, 2013 By 1 Comment

There is just one burning question every New Yorker needs to know (now that we know that Dan was Gossip Girl):

What are the tastiest snacks, bites, and drinks around town, and where can you get them?

Read on, hungry city dweller:

Hummus Plate at Le Pain Quotidien

Ah yes, this upscale coffee shop/bakery does more than just great breakfasts. Order the hummus plate and you will be surprised at how tasty it is. The hummus is thick and lemony, slick with fruity olive oil. The kalamata olives atop are juicy and soft, the perfect salty counterpart to the hummus.Also on the plate is garlicky, almost velvety babaganoush and quinoa tabouleh that is earthy, herby, and chock full of juicy tomatoes and diced onions. The sour wheat, crusty white, and sweet raisin breads served alongside complete the dish. This is enough for a very satisfying lunch or a shared snack plate among 3 friends. It’s amazing how well this Belgian place does a middle eastern plate.

Foccacia de Recco at Rosemary’s

This locavore west village restaurant is a little too pricey for what you get, but there is one thing worth trying here. The foccacia filled with milky, creamy stracchino cheese is among the best breads in the city. Your order arrives piping hot, slick with slightly spicy olive oil and topped with grains of coarse sea salt. When you tear a chunk off the bread, the first scent that hits you is the rosemary, deep and woodsy. Then, the tantalizing smells of yeast and spicy olive oil hits your nostrils. The taste is as good as the aroma. The bread is pliant and soft, with a thin crust, punctuated by sharp rosemary needles. The inside is filled with that mild, creamy cheese, so soft that it makes mozzarella look hard and pungent. This is like grilled cheese on steroids, and it’s worth a visit to the restaurant to try this.

Any cocktail at The Dutch

I have been here several times, and each time have ordered a different cocktail. Every single one has been exemplary – well balanced, interesting but but not different just to be weird, nuanced and also pronounced in all the right places. The bartenders are knowledgeable but not snobby, and have no problem recommending something that you will like. The bar is small but comfortable and the vibe is extremely laid back. Of course, also order something to eat, but this is a great place to get a little tipsy before dinner.

Beef Carpaccio with Truffle Oil at Slightly Oliver

I know I have talked about this place before, but it deserves more mention because I just love it. The cocktails, the  faux-British vibe, and the tasty small plates make this a real gem on the Upper West Side. This carpaccio, made with tender slices of beef and dressed with a peppery arugula salad with a tiny fried quail egg and toast, is a perfect appetizer or even light meal. The addition of truffle oil just elevates it. Mushrooms and beef are always a win, especially when the beef is filet mignon and the mushrooms are truffles.

#winning

Filed Under: SoHo, Upper West Side, West Village Tagged With: , , ,

A Salt and Battery – NYC’s Own Fish and Chips

November 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment

If you have ever been to England, you have undoubtedly looked the wrong way when you crossed the street, marveled at how the entire country closes early on Sundays, and eaten fish and chips.

I don’t mean fried fish and french fries. I mean fish and chips. Fresh British fish, served  under puffy golden batter alongside fat, pale yellow chips, doused with sour malt vinegar.Preferably eaten standing up. Preferably eaten slightly drunk.

There is, thankfully, a place to pretty much recreate that experience on this side of the Atlantic.

A Salt and Battery has been in Greenwich Village for a several years – it has beaten Bobby Flay in a Throwdown, been touted as the finest fried fish by The Village Voice, and has been the late night haunt for many NYU students.

The tiny shop, in a row of 2 other same-owned shops offering British candy and tea service, has only a few stools and a counter. Read the menu on the wall and order fast – if you are lucky enough to snag a seat, do it now. And do it with someone you know well – the food here isn’t right for a first date.

Fried Haddock and Chips

The real deal. Thick, flaky haddock is mild and clean tasting under a puffy, perfectly crispy sheath of golden batter. It is moist within its greaseless cage. It sits atop beautifully fried potatoes, thick and creamy within, crunchy without – just like in London. Doused with vinegar and salt until my mouth puckered, this was the best fried fish I have had in this country, without a doubt. The tartar sauce was also good, though a bit less tart than I like.

 

Mushy Peas

The perfect food for those of you who love squash puree and carrots cooked to oblivion. These are verdant and fresh without being overly grassy. They are served piping hot and need only a touch of salt to make them the perfect accompaniment to the main event.

Coleslaw

Incredibly crunchy though being very thickly sauced with a heavy, creamy dressing. Traditional without being overtly  seasoned, it provides a cooling and crispy component to the meal, juxtaposing those gloriously mushy peas.Don’t miss it if you love coleslaw – it’s a solid rendition.

Deep Fried Mars Bar

What, you though that state fairs invented these?

Imagine the world’s gooeist brownie with a molten, creamy nougat center, enclosed in doughnut batter. Yeah. Share one…don’t try to eat one on your own.

Your heart will actually beat slower from all of the fat.

 

The food is great, the service is charming, and the price can’t be beat. Don’t expect fast food – this stuff is made efficiently, but it’s made to order. And it’s worth it. Grab a  Boddignton ale, a jar of malt vinegar, and sit down to wait for one of life’s great pleasures.

And, be warned, A Salt And Battery…next time, I’m coming for the eating challenge. And I’m not going home until I win.

Filed Under: West Village Tagged With: , ,

DeKalb Market – Hidden Treasure in Brooklyn

September 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Friendship has to be mutually beneficial. You add something to the relationship and the other person adds something. Otherwise…what’s the point? If that’s the rule of a good friendship, Justin and I have a great one. I send him crazy British potato chips from when I go abroad, and he shows me one of the coolest markets in the NYC area.

DeKalb Market, ongoing 7 days a week through September 30, is an outdoor market with artisanal clothing, tchotchkes, and food. The weekends are supposedly packed, but on a weekday afternoon, the place was pretty empty. Perfect for  either a quick lunch or a delightful afternoon sampling treats from many different establishments.

Mahrlinka Longganisa with Spicy Chiles, Pickled Vegetables, and Mayo

Hello, garlic breath. The first bite of this is extremely garlicky – that spicy, punchy hit of raw garlic that some people love and some hate. I love it. It avoids being overwheming here because the next taste is that of sticky, sweet, pork. The chunks are big and moist, more of a loosely packed sausage than a hot dog. There is a very umami, salty hit that has to be fish sauce.  This sausage is funky, powerful, and definitely not for those who are shy about strong garlicky flavors. The tangy pickled vegetables, creamy mayo, and the heat of green chiles finishes what is one incredible sandwich.

I let Justin have a bite because he led me to this wonderful place. But just one.

Dubpies Curry Chicken Pie

This was one of Justin’s picks. A flaky, crisp curst surrounds a lightly curry flavored filling with moist chicken and tender vegetables. It was incredibly humid out, so I didn’t have more than one bite, but the one I had was quite good, if rather subtle.

I like a curry that kicks me in the face.

Cheeky Sandwiches Shortrib Sandwich with Horseradish

This place also has a location on Manhattan’s LES, and is known for its New Orleans style sandwiches. Though Justin swears by the chicken biscuit, we both decided to branch out this time.

Soft, savory beef layered with wilted arugula, sweet tomatoes, and an almost unholy amount of horseradish. The horseradish is nasal clearing, counteracting with the fruity tomatoes and buttery toasted challah. The sandwich is fantastic in every way – run, don’t walk, to get one.

Cuzin’s Duzin Donuts

These handmade mini donuts, made to order, were good, but not great. Justin and his girlfriend loved them, but I prefer a lighter, yeastier doughnut. These are cake donuts, and thus heartier with a denser texture. They were quite good, just not to my taste.

 I still ate them, of course…

Get yourself to DeKalb Market before it closes! The food is delicious and varied, the weekdays are not crowded, and there are so many more food stalls to try that I didn’t even cover here.

Thanks, Justin, for bringing me here!

Sausage sandwiches – improving friendship, one link at a time.

Cheeky Sandwiches on Urbanspoon

Filed Under: Brooklyn, Miscellaneous, review Tagged With: , , , ,

Afternoon Tea Chicken Salad Sandwiches

September 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

This is a recipe for those of you who love an afternoon treat that hearty enough to tide you over until dinner but light enough not to ruin your appetite. It is for those of you who love to take leftovers and turn them into something new and extraordinary.

It’s for those of you too lazy to chew a sandwich made with crusty bread.

This recipe is dainty, elegant, and extremely tasty. The secret ingredient is a touch of curry powder – not enough to make it taste Indian, but enough to make the diner wonder why the sandwich is so darned tasty. The bread is very important here – using mini croissants really elevates this to company-worthy food, but even very soft, crustless white bread will do. Don’t even think of using something high fiber here.  The main adjectives here are smooth, buttery, and soft.

Afternoon Tea Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded chicken (leftover poached or roasted chicken works well, or use a store-bought rotisserie chicken)

1 cup mayonnaise

4 celery stalks, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

1/2 sweet onion, diced

1.5 tsp. curry powder

2 tsp. mustard (your favorite…I like Dijon for it’s mild tang)

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

8 mini croissants, split open

8 leaves iceberg lettuce

8 mini croissants

1. Combine the mayo and the chicken in a bowl and mix to combine. Don’t worry if the chicken gets a little mashed during the mixing process – you want a uniform texture.

2. Add the pepper, onion, and celery.

3. Add the curry powder, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Now let the salad marinate in the fridge for 3o minutes. This step is very important. The flavor profiles change and intensify with time, so it’s very important to let the salad rest. After it rests, let it come to room temperature, taste it again, and modify the seasonings if necessary.

4. Spread the salad on the croissants…

and add a lettuce leaf to each sandwich.

5. Close each sandwich and serve, preferably with freshly brewed tea and a slice of cake.

This sandwich is elegant, subtle, and very satisfying. It is creamy but with the textural components of the juicy chicken, crunchy celery, and sweet bell peppers. The lettuce provides a refreshing taste, and the Worcestershire sauce and curry give the chicken salad a distant, mysteriously umami taste. This is delicious served at a party or in a lunchbox. Please don’t leave out the curry – try just a dab and you will be shocked at how subtle and vital it is to this recipe.

Toldja fiber had no place here.

 

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: ,

gDine at Desmond’s

March 26, 2012 By 6 Comments

And this is why I love living in the 21st century.

GDine. This company, that has recently expanded to NYC,  is the answer to all of your group dining prayers. You know, that time when it comes time to pay the bill and all of a sudden, people are in the bathroom, or don’t want to pay for the wine they didn’t drink, or all of a sudden get amnesia and just walk out without paying a dime?

GDine solves all that by offering  ”a multi-course menu with many options at exclusive discounted rates.” Basically, you can go online, choose a 3 course menu for as low as $30 or so, have everyone pay online before they go, and BOOM…then all you have to do is go and enjoy. The dining experience couldn’t be easier or more welcome.

To try this out, I selected a 3 course option at Desmond’s, a modern British restaurant in Midtown East

Desmond’s is a casual restaurant, and although the food is upscale, the atmosphere is extremely relaxed. This is a perfect place to take a mid-day break from shopping – you would not be out of place in nice jeans and a sweater.

Biscuits and butter

An identity crisis of sorts – buttermilk biscuits in a British restaurant? – but the nicest identity crisis across which I have ever come. Warm, fluffy biscuits are light and tender. The whipped butter is creamy and light, delicious when spread over the steaming bread, melting into little pools and rivulets.

Pork Belly with Salted Caramel and Apple Salad

Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, incredibly sweet and undeniably porky. No over seasoning or complex sauces here, just the thick pork belly, with its crackling layer of fat and its tender but not mushy meat. The fat is perfectly rendered, with no gummy or undercooked parts, and paired with the salted caramel, it becomes more savory and earthy; almost wild-tasting. The salad is simple but refreshing, with a light vinaigrette that adds a necessary acidity to the dish.

Salmon Fishcake with Parsley Sauce and Poached Egg

Once again, the interplay of textures is excellent. A thin, extremely crisp crust covers flaky salmon, mixed with soft potatoes and fragrant herbs. It is comforting and mild tasting, and when punctured, the perfectly runny yolk of the poached egg provides a rich sauce for the fishcake. The parsley sauce is herbaceous without being too floury, merely accenting the herbs inside the fish cake. Served with some gently wilted spinach, it is a light but filling lunch.

Meyers of Keswick Bangers and Mash

Of course, if you want to go the heavier route (and more respect if you do), go with the excellently prepared bangers and mash, served with winey caramelized onions.

Eton Mess

This delightful dessert consists of crisp meringue cookies, freshly sliced strawberries, and strawberry coulis, all doused in freshly whipped cream. Served with some basil on top to cut through the sweetness, this is a delightful dessert – fresh, sweet, and not too heavy. I could have eaten a pile of this and…okay, well, I did!

Desmond’s is a great lunch stop, but more so, gDine is a great experience! You are presented with your choices for the meal, then simply eat and leave. Everything else is taken care of ahead of time. The only change that I would make is the fact that the tip must be paid beforehand – tip is something that can vary based on service, and I would prefer to leave it at the restaurant. Other than that, this is a pretty flawless system!

Eating well and not having to worry about splitting the check? Between that and air conditioning, the 21st century has paid for itself.

*Disclaimer: My meal was paid for, courtesy of GDine. I was not paid, nor was I required to write a review. My opinions are my own and, I feel, unbiased.*

Desmond's NY on Urbanspoon

Filed Under: Midtown Tagged With: ,

Alice’s Tea Cup, for the Little Girl in You

July 25, 2011 By 6 Comments
When I was a little girl, I would have loved coming to Alice’s Tea Cup. Fairy wings on the wall, mismatched tea sets and sweet servers whose only desire, it seems, is to help you choose which color of tea will be prettiest with your party dress. 
 Hell, I know a lot of little boys who would have loved that too.
I was a Musical Theatre major, remember?
 And it is kind of hard not to like teapots with cute little animal figurines on them.
 There are literally HUNDREDS of teas and blends you can try. We are talking black teas, green teas, white teas, tea blends…I always thought tea kinda tasted like hot bathwater. I got the Christmas Blend, which tasted like cinnamon-y, nutmeg-y…bathwater. What can I say? I’m just not a tea person. 
My sister, who is a tea person, loved her iced passion fruit tea.
 Now THIS was the reason that I came. For 2 people for $37, you get 2 pots of tea, 3 scones the size of a small country with whipped cream and jam, 6 finger sandwiches and a plate of dessert offerings for the day.
That is a lot of food, people. And you can order it from 11 AM in the morning. My kind of brunch, indeed.
There is so much food and so many ways to customize this that it is nearly impossible not to enjoy your meal. 
Roasted Cumin Carrot Sandwich. Thin ribbons of carrots were roasted so their sugars caramelized but the vegetable still retained a bit of texture – no baby food here. The carrots’ natural sweetness melded well with the smoky spice of the cumin and the mild cream cheese spread. It was a simple sandwich that was elevated by the unusual pairing of ingredients (cumin and cream cheese?) and the truly awesome bread. All the baked goods here are house made, and this tangy, airy bread dotted with hearty seeds was a fantastic addition to the sandwich. 
They also have a great classic egg salad sandwich – creamy, fragrant with dill and peppery with watercress. Not too mushy, with ample chunks of smooth white and luscious yolk. 
Though there was a great pumpkin scone that was sweet, spicy with cinnamon and tasted like pumpkin pie gone rogue, my favorite scone of the day was the ham and cheese. Sharp, tangy cheddar mixed with salty bits of Southern ham and scallions. The scones were dense but not brick-like. I could really work my way through one without feeling like I was at war with a zeppelin in my stomach. That is why these large scones work well – they are delicate instead of leaden.
By the time you get to dessert, you might feel kind of full. That’s okay, because the lemon tart was a bit too sweet and runny for my tastes.
I like them tart and firm. 
Like I like my men.
Too bad I didn’t save room for this mocha cake.
But that is really my only complaint for Alice’s Tea Cup. It was delicious, it was well priced and it was well served. Consider yourself warned that there are plenty of families with small children here, the room is a bit warm for the summertime, and there is estrogen here. 
A lot of estrogen. 
My dad would kill himself. 
But, even though I’m not a little girl…I still love coming to Alice’s Tea Cup.
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Filed Under: Upper West Side Tagged With: , , ,

Albert Hall Brings Gastropub Fare To Hell’s Kitchen

February 21, 2011 By 10 Comments
There is this new group in town, called [Exploration] Dining that, for a fee, allows you to pay half price at a number of restaurants around town. They also do excursions with dining groups, where people eat at either brand new restaurants that are under the radar, or old restaurants people have forgotten about. The whole point is to, literally, explore your own city. I mean, we do live in NYC…it totally makes sense to have this company here! I was invited to a press dinner at Royal Albert Tavern, so of course I am more inclined to like this company, but really…it’s kind of a simple but awesome idea!
Albert Hall Tavern is a new gastropub in Hell’s Kitchen…
HALLELUJAH!

Hell’s Kitchen has awesome Thai food and some great bakeries, but – with the exception of Danji – very few nicer places that I have not tried already. This eclectic, cheeky restaurant with a relaxed but upscale vibe seemed like it might be a welcome addition.

Sometimes you CAN judge a book by its cover.
Oysters - Malpagues and Blue Points.

These were absolutely perfect oysters. Briney, salty, fresh and tender, with just a slight bit of shallot to accentuate the natural oceanic taste. Oysters are always the perfect start to a meal – light but complex in flavor, they just whet my appetite!
Screaming Oysters from Hell-Fried oysters with a Sriracha relish, served over grilled pineapple.

FABULOUS! I don’t think these were from Hell, per se, but they were definitely from a a very sassy place. The oysters were those same fresh beauties as before, this time crispy breaded in a grease-less, albeit a touch thick, fried-chicken like coating. The garlicky, vinegary, spicy sauce added that hit of heat to the oyster that makes any dish more vibrant and interesting. The warm, slightly charred pineapple brought a sweet note that really completed the dish. A stand out dish.
Tuna Tartare with Quail Egg

Not innovative, but delicious. Fresh, buttery tuna melded with the rich, yolky quail egg and a bit of jalapeno peppers for a flawless rendition of tuna tartare. A little spicy, very fresh, on a fantastically buttery crostini.
Deviled Braised Short Rib with Horseradish and Mustard Seed.

Extremely tender beef, gently braised into a sort of meat jam…it sounds disgusting but tasted AMAZING. It was literally so tender that it actually did melt in my mouth. The mustard gave it a tangy edge, and the horseradish-tomato jam cut through the beef’s fat perfectly with its spicy-sweet taste. If this is what happens when you braise beef for 30 minutes longer than I normally do…I will have to give it a try!!
Pickled Sardines with Fennel Pollen and Meyer Lemon Cream.

My least favorite dish of the night. I just thought the sardines were too damn fishy. The fennel was a nice vegetal addition to the dish, bu the vinegary, fishy taste just overwhelmed the Meyer lemon. And this is form someone who really does like sardines.
Grilled Radicchio with Trifoline Cheese and Butternut Squash Carpaccio.
WOW! Why don’t I ever grill radicchio at home!!! This took all the bitterness out of the lettuce and imparted a smoky, almost meaty taste to the leaf. Wilted but not without some crunch, it paired so well with the cheese – somewhere between Roquefert, Tallegio and Guryere cheeses – this was for a lover of stinky cheeses! The squash underneath was a smooth and sweet component that really rounded out the dish, along with the delicious fatty snap of some slivered almonds. This was just an awesome combination of flavors and textures that I MUST recreate at home!

Stemed Mussels with charred rosemary and black garlic.

These were good if not great. The mussels themselves were delicious – plump and sweet with nary a grain of sand or a bad one in there. But, while the garlic was too subtle to detect, the rosemary was WAY too strong. It’s woodsy, earthy aroma totally overpowered the delicate mussels. This dish was prepared well, just was not to my liking – someone who likes meat more than fish might actually quite like this dish.
Roasted Suckling Pig with maple rum.

How have I never had suckling pig before? Suckling pig is to pork what Catherine Zeta Jones is to me.
One just blows the other clear out of the water.

This meat was so tender, so sweet, so fatty, so moist…I really have no words. It was the most intense explosion of porcine flavor next to the simplest, softest texture imaginable…it was a totally bizarre and wonderful experience. Though the skin was a bit tough to cut (okay, I’ll admit it…I just used my hands), it’s sweetness played perfectly with the sweetness of the meat. I loved how un-seasoned the pork was. No herbs, no sauces, very restricted use of salt…just total pork taste dominating my palate. Awesome.
This meal was excellent. The service was great, the atmosphere is nice enough for a date but relaxed enough to show up in jeans and a t-shirt and the food was sensational. The price point was very reasonable and the beer list was AWESOME…try the Estrella Galica or the Gavroche French Red Ale if you think you don’t like beer! [Exploration] Dining definitely peaked my interest in their group AND in Albert Hall Tavern.
And…in suckling pig.

*Note: My meal was paid for by the restaurant.  I was not paid or required to write a review, and my opinions are my own and, I feel, impartial.*




Albert Hall Tavern on Urbanspoon
Filed Under: Hell's Kitchen Tagged With: ,

Farewell to London

January 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Let me leave you with a few random shots of London that, sadly, fit in nowhere else:

Room service salmon at The Lanesborough (without a doubt, the finest hotel in London. I have stayed many places, and The Lanesborough has the perfect combination of elegance, luxury, service and subtle-ness…it is really TOO sublime). The salmon was outstanding-seared so the skin was crispy but the medium flesh was moist and tender. Served over ginger-scented jasmine rice with a melange of wok-sauteed veggies, it was the perfect thing to eat after getting of a long flight. It was the first thing we ate in London, and one of the best. 

The incredibly spicy ponzu sauce with the salmon. See those little red things in there? Birds’ eye chilis. Make jalapenos seem like bell peppers. This sauce made me tear, sweat and curse like a sailor.
Needless to say, I loved it.

The Lanesborough’s continental breakfast. Note the adorable doily, fresh squeezed tomato juice, and ABUNDANT pastry basket. This goes way beyond toast and a stale croissant. Look a that fruit tart!  Fresh fruit, lightly glazed with apricot jam, filled with vanilla Bavarian cream. What a way to start the day!

Our loot the first day.
From the back left, going in a circle clockwise: Mr. Kipling Cherry Bakewell Tarts, Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Chocolate bars, Marks & Spencer Rich Fruitcake, Roasted Chicken and Thyme potato chips, Candied Damson Plums, Tunnock’s Tea Cakes (like the BEST MALLOMARS EVER), Maynard’s wine gums, almond cookies, spicy parsnip soup, the aforementioned Gentleman’s Relish, chicken liver pate, a fruitcake, more chocolate, and…more chocolate.
Well we had to try it all, didn’t we?
Whatever we didn’t eat, we left in the hotel room.
There wasn’t much left, don’t worry.

Look how GORGEOUS the fruitcake was?! We got this at a plain old grocery store!
Dense, sweet, spicy, moist, simply LADEN with plump raisins and candied orange peel. The frosting was the thick, stiff variety that is incredibly sugary and incredibly delicious. Why don’t more companies make fruitcake like this? Everyone would like it!

Look what you can get at KFC! Maltesers are like much lighter versions of whoppers. So clearly…this would be awesome.

Oh this is such a sad story.
We ate at Amaya 3 times during our trip to London.
We were only there for 4 days.
What does that tell you?
Quite frankly, it is THE BEST INDIAN FOOD I HAVE EVER HAD in my LIFE in ANY COUNTRY…like, EVER! 
It is ‘modern’ in the sense that there are no gloppy curries, muddied vegetable slushes or piles of poppadoms with sickeningly sweet chutneys at the table.
(Though, truth be told, I certainly love that kind of Indian food, too!)
This is a tandoori specialist, where everything from the naan to the exquisite broccoli with yogurt to apricot-anointed quail is made in one of 3 tandoori ovens. The ovens range from 350-over 700 degrees! The atmosphere is elegant but relaxed, the staff is lovely, and the food is AMAZING.
BUT…
They don’t let you take pictures.
Note Marmie begging the server to let us take pictures. To no avail. Nonetheless, I HIGHLY recommend this restaurant for its unique and particular take on Indian food. Please try the:
Madagascar Prawns
Quail
Venison Kebab
Roasted Broccoli
Daal
Cauliflower Briyani
LIFE-CHANGING Raita

Mushroom Eggs Benedict at the hotel. Nothing different, just wonderfully prepared eggs with runny yolks, creamy whites, crisp toast and meaty mushrooms.
Who can find fault with that?

Smoked Gammon and Chutney chips, Curry chips and Piri Piri chips along with assorted gifts. 
PLEASE buy strawberry jam in England…their strawberries are totally superior.

Don’t you just wish you could pop into your Subway and grab yourself a Chicken Tikka Sub?

Neal’s Yard Dairy’s delicious cheeses. Come here for the stinkiest, mellowest, creamiest, crumbliest, sharpest, smoothest cheeses in London.
Just don’t leave your bag of purchases there…like I did.
I know…I hate myself, too.

Leadenhall Market, where some scenes from Harry Potter were filmed! Once a thriving farmers market,  now with modern businesses, but the same beautiful architecture of its heyday.

Head to Bateel for a HUGE assortment of dates from the Middle East that we simply don’t see in America.

So many different dates! The ones stuffed with orange peel were my favorite.

More jam, madeira cake, knockoffs of the Tunnock’s Tea Cakes (close,but no cigar), Picallili (fell in love with this bracing, viaigr-y, mustard-y pickled veggie condiment. Use it with cheese, on bread, and straight out of the jar!), Tom-Yum Soup paste, double cream.
We drank the double cream.
Straight.
Best decision I have made since getting DVR.

Scott’s Restaurant.
No pictures allowed…seriously, London. Why do you hate cameras???
Around since the 1800′s, in an art deco building.
Expensive? Quite.
Worth it? Yep!
Get the smoked haddock over colcannon (mashed potatoes mixed with cabbage) and do NOT miss the Cod Tongues with Beef Marrow and Bordelaise Sauce. The tongues were tender but with enough bite so you knew you were eating flesh. They were mild and meaty tasting, and I really don’t think they tasted like fish at ALL. With the unctuous wonder that is beef marrow, the silky and umami rich Bordelaise sauce and some garlicky toast points, this dish was TOTALLY a stand out of the trip.
But then…what wasn’t? Everything was wonderful here. The people, the culture, the weather and most especially the food. British food gets a bad rap, but let me tell you something: If you do your research, you will eat wonderfully here.  Yes, you will go poor while doing it.
But just keep calm and carry on.
Amaya on Urbanspoon
Filed Under: London Tagged With: , , , ,

First class All the Way

January 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The British Airways flight was a top notch experience. The flight attendants were incredibly kind and helpful, the amenity kits offered excellent lip balm and moisturizer, and the food…oh the food…
Dry roasted cashews. Not your normal peanuts, huh?
Dill cured gravlax with remoulade and brown bread. The bread was unremarkable but the salmon was anything but. Sharp, tangy, fragrant with dill and just fatty enough…I could have eaten 3 plates of this!

Chicken and quail terrine with a quail egg, anchovy mayonnaise and walnut toasted breadcrumbs. The terrine was well made and seasoned, with thyme and moist dark meat. The quail egg was a bit overcooked, but the umami-tinged mayonnaise made up for that.

Marmie’s braised beef with Yorkshire pudding, mashed potatoes and roasted root vegetables. This could not have been better made at any restaurant in London. The beef was fairly melting on the plate in its pool of red wine and beef gravy, with the creamy mashed potatoes and perfectly caramelized carrots and parsnips. The Yorkshire pudding was the perfect combination of custardy and light, and the dish was demolished. Totally demolished. Like, they didn’t have to run the plate through the dishwasher.

My warm goat cheese salad with figs, cranberries and roasted chestnuts. I had never had roasted chestnuts, but they were just like large, sweet, slightly less crunchy walnuts. A very nice addition with the grassy, pungent and warm goat cheese. LOVED that goat cheese. 

An entire tray of chocolates.
Just for me.
Don’t worry, I restrained myself and only ate about 7.

But later I had these delicious tea sandwiches. Yes, they kept feeding us. The gammon with piccalilli was especially delightful. Vinegar, mustard and herbs mingled with the salty-sweet taste of the ham. The cumin cream cheese was a pungent and welcome addition to the cucumber sandwich. I ate all of these. And then…

I ate this. Scones, jam and clotted cream. Clotted cream is like unsweetened whipped cream.
With the richness of egg yolks.
With the texture of cream cheese.
With the experience of…HEAVEN.

And that is the proper ratio: 3:1:2 cream:jam:scone.
I invented that ratio.
You are welcome.
Warm, fluffy scone with sweet, sticky jam with that rich, creamy, clean clotted cream taste. 
I REALLY LOVE clotted cream.

A selection of desserts. That carrot muffin in the middle was especially delicious – spicy, sweet, aromatic, and moist. All it needed was…you guessed it…some more clotted cream.
This was such a great eating flight. It literally extended the trip by a full 6 hours. The food service went above and beyond – British must surely have one of the best catering plans that European airlines have to offer.
And all that’s left now of my gastronomic trip is a quick recap of all the amazing food that couldn’t fit in a post.
Filed Under: London Tagged With: , ,

Heathrow is the Way to Go!

January 12, 2011 By 8 Comments
The airport is generally a miserable experience. Dirty, noisy, horrible food, rude people, nothing to do. I would do ANYTHING to avoid going to airports, and have driven and taken trains many times when a flight would have been faster, just to avoid the hassle and horror that is the airport.
Then I flew First Class British Air out of Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport.
THANK YOU SO MUCH DAD! All those years of telling you that you were my favorite parent is finally paying off!!!
After being whisked through security we went to this restaurant.
Oh no, I’m sorry, that isn’t a restaurant. That is the first class restaurant in the lounge, where the ENTIRE menu is free.
I know…I peed a little too.

Beautiful jams and jellies.

Fresh fruit with delicious strawberries. Even out of season, those English berries are really something else.

Kippers, mushrooms, baked beans, grilled tomato – a modified English Breakfast. The kippers were just amazing – tender, smokey, delicate tasting and just fatty enough to contend with the sweet beans and rich mushrooms. The fish was bony, but if you like smoked fish, you will love kippers.

Lovely bread.  Not amazing but…well, free makes it lovely, you know?

These are pictures of the business class lounge. Of course, I helped myself to a couple of cokes for the road. British soda just tastes WAY better.

Beer for the taking.

Gorgeous cold cuts are my kind of morning meal.

Fruit salad and yogurt.

The menu selection – as you can see, there are several soup options, hot buffet options,and salad/sandwich bar options each day.

BACON ROLLS…I love how these people eat!

Selection of goodies for your espresso.
Of course, I took some of these, too. The Walkers Rich Fruitcake was a particularly divine example of how moist, sweet and liquor-filled fruitcake can be.

Cereal bar.

Once we left the beauty of the lounge to explore the airport, we were greeted with this gorgeous phosphorescent display at Itsu, where you could grab any number of Japanese-inspired small plates.

Gordon Ramsay has a restaurant here.
When do you think Mario Batali will open a place in La Guardia?

I just love the names of their candies!

Waaaay back there, under the duty free sign, is a man passing out aged malt whisky samples.
For free.
At the airport…
I know.

This woman was passing out Baileys samples.
If I wasn’t going on the flight, I would have had a REALLY good time with these gals and guys!

After of course, attending an extensive tasting course at the World of Whiskies.

The Caviar House & Prunier Store.

Balik smoked salmon samples – the most expensive salmon on earth.
The best, least salty, most butter and unctuous smoked salmon I have ever tried.
I had 4 samples.
At the airport.

An incredible selection of wines, vinegars and oils – I got a Spanish olive oil infused with chili.

The incredible selection of food at the Prunier restaurant – smoked salmon, shrimp, oysters, caviar…everything looked fresh and delicious and there was nary a fishy smell anywhere.

We then returned to the first class lounge for a stop at the CHAMPAGNE BAR.
I really wish I could drink before flights.

But I did indulge in a mince pie. And a few cookies for the road.
Everyone was so sweet and helpful. The shopping was as amazing as the food selection. It was actually worth coming here for the day as a tourist destination. And then we got on the plane…
Filed Under: London Tagged With: , , , ,
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