June 7th, 2009
Last month, my husband and I went to New York for the weekend. It was my little niece’s baptism on Sunday and we were there for less than 48 hours; however, we did manage to squeeze in as many culinary delights as possible.
The minute we landed, we hopped in a cab and met my brother and his wife at Orsay; an adorable little upper east side French Bistro. Sitting there on a beautiful May afternoon, sipping a wonderful Sancerre, while enjoying a delcious Croque Monsieur, I did forget for a moment that I was in NY.
After lunch it was straight to our hotel, The London NYC in midtown. We chose this hotel because Gordon Ramsay is behind all of the food. He has two restaurants in the hotel and they handle room service as well.
We had reservations at the more formal Gordon Ramsay at the London for that evening. I was very excited. I am sometimes wary of these expensive, multi-course meals because they often leave me disappointed. But, being Gordon Ramsay fans, my husband and I decided to give it a try, despite the hefty price tag. I also had the opportunity to wear a gorgeous Philip Lim dress that i had been saving for the occasion.
We both chose to have the five-course tasting menu with the cheese supplement (why not?) and wine pairing. We began our meal with a glass of champagne, chosen from the lovely champagne cart that was wheeled over by a member of our wait staff team and then the meal began…..
Each course was paired with a delicious wine that was explained and poured by the sommelier. Even after four courses and as many glasses of wine, we did manage to polish off most of the wonderful cheese course.
Despite being unbelievable full and a tad bit drunk, we were delighted when the bon bon cart was brought over, as a prelude to our real dessert. . Each course was exquisitely presented and the restaurant was formal without being intimidating. It was truly a remarkable dining experience that my husband and I will never forget.
The next day, we woke up and you would think that we would be sick of food after a five-course+ meal, but no, not us!! We are in NY for two days and we were going to eat as much good food as possible. You can not come to NY without getting real NY pizza. (It is just not the same in Florida). We grabbed an early lunch, (late breakfast or just a pre-lunch snack maybe?) at the famous Ray’s pizza and then did some shopping along Madison Ave. We did have to work off some of the food we had been consuming.
That afternoon was my niece’s baptism and yes, we ate again. My brother and sister-in-law had a lovely lunch for family and friends at Centolire, a upper east trattoria that specializes in traditional Italian-American cusine.
Sunday evening, we had reservations at the infamous Waverly Inn with my good friend and her husband. The concierge at our hotel managed to get us reservations at the still apparently hard to get in celeb favorite in the Village. I am not really into restaurants that are famous just because they are impossible to get in, but The Waverly is different. The food is really good. The truffle mac and cheese is one of the best I have ever had and let me tell you….I am the truffle mac and cheese aficionado. It is one of my favorite dishes and I ordered it anytime it is on the menu. The Waverly’s is one of the best! I also recommend the hamburger, shorts ribs, and the tuna tartare. They are all delicious.
I could not ask for more than spending time with family and friends, while experiencing great cuisine. It was a perfect weekend!
June 1st, 2008
Last Sunday’s episode of Iron Chef America was the first new battle in what seems like forever. Iron Chef Booby Flay was challenged by Iron Chef Bob Iacovene. The secret ingredient: Lagostine. Very interesting. This battle was really challenging because the secret ingredient itself is rather rare and not often found on a typical menu. Every judge observed that this would be a battle of restraint, rather than indulgence.
Bobby Flay created the one dish that really appeals to the true flavor of the lagostine; simply grilled with olive oil and lemon. In the end, I think this is why Iron Chef Flay won in a clear victory over Chef Iacovene.
A few nights after this episode of Iron Chef, I went to dinner at an Italian restaurant in Coral Gables; Caffe Abbracci and to my surprise I found grill lagostine on the menu! I dine out quite frequently and have never seen this on a menu before. Well, of course I had to try it. They served about five lagostines, split and grilled with olive oil and lemon. They were delicious. I think the key is that they were perfectly cooked. The meat was very tender, juicy and had so much flavor that the simple preparation was perfect. If you are ever dine out and see lagostine on the menu, please try it.
This Sunday is another new Iron Chef and then the Next Food Network Star premieres so please stay tuned for more………..
March 10th, 2008
I just got back from Las Vegas. In addition to being a playground for adults, it is a culinary haven for foodies. There are so many good restaurants; it was hard to decide where to dine. I have been to Vegas a few times, so my husband and I decided to try new places, instead of revisiting our favorites. Sometimes that can be good; sometimes bad.
We went to Daniel Boulud Brasserie in Wynn Las Vegas.
The setting was perfect, overlooking the Lake of Dreams. (Various shows entertain as you dine every half-hour so I would recommend asking for a table outside or by the window.) My husband had the famous “Original NY DB Burger”, which is a sirloin burger stuffed with short ribs, foie gras and black truffle, served on a parmesan bun with fries. I was a bit skeptical at first, but this “burger” was exceptional. It was cooking perfectly and the combination of short ribs with foie gras and black truffle was a flavor explosion. I, on the other hand, went with an old standby, the steak frites. It was also, very savory. My steak was tender and juicy and the “frites” were perfectly fried; crispy and light.
Needless to say, you can not go wrong with Daniel Boulud. In addition to the great meal and setting, the staff was exceptional.
My favorite food is Italian, so I had to try the Rao’s in Caesar’s Palace.
I grew up in New Jersey, just 45 minutes from Manhattan and my family and I could never get a reservation at the exclusive Rao’s in Harlem. It only has 10 tables and you must know “someone” to get a reservation. Now, I can understand why it is so exculsive.
Rao’s was the best dinner of the trip; it was truly unbelievable. My husband had the Veal Parmesan. I know, you are thinking, “how boring!” Well, it was a bone-in veal chop, pounded thin and it was so tender, you could cut it with a fork. The sauce and cheese were a perfect compliment. I had the Gnocchi Bolognese and it was also very good. Although, I have to say, that was the best veal parmesan I have ever tasted. If you go with a group, it is a good idea to each try something different. The portions are large, so it is easy to share and try different entrees.
Disappointing was Michael Mina in the Bellagio. The service was rushed and it was not worth the hefty price tag.
So, needless to say, if you visit Las Vegas, please find time to dine at Rao’s….and Daniel Boulud. Now that I am back from vacation, please stay tuned for more……….
