BEST of 2014

As I said in my metaphorical toast— it’s been a delicious year. So many foodie ventures! I’ve indulged in yummy things on the East and West Coast (sweet and savory). I baked, sampled, tasted, ate, and gorged on so many delightful eats. But here are my Best of 2014!

New Recipe

Let’s face it—I like to try out new recipes especially when it comes to baked goods. These are the recipes that really took the cake this year!

Caramel Cake

Chocolate Christmas Cookies

Banana Blondies

Bite

I had a lot of bites this year, like a lot. Between Taste of Tribeca, Taste of Hope and all the other chowing down I do, there was no shortage tasty bites, but these were my faves.

Pumpkin Fig Cheesecake

Sugar Couture

Avocado Smash

Little Collins

 

Drinks

Even though apparently I sampled a whole bunch of flavorful libations this year, one spot had my favorite sips.

Fig and Olive

Appetizers

Appetizers can sometimes really steal the show. The starters at these restaurants made for delectable beginnings.

Central Kitchen

Flea Street Café  

Brunch

As that in-between time, brunch menus can offer the sweet and savory stuffs of both breakfast and lunch. This year however, my taste-buds danced for savory brunchy dishes.

Duck Confit Hash

Park & Sixth Gastropub

Shrimp and Grits

The Bistro at Grove Square

Dessert

Dessert is my most favorite time of day. Love salty, but I have a weakness for sweet thangs, and this year, these two desserts really satisfied my sweet tooth.

Snickerdoodle Sammie

Bareburger Hoboken

Pistachio Crème Brûlée

La Nonna

Dish

It’s practically impossible for me to pinpoint the best dish I devoured in 2014, as there were so many extremely delicious, covetable and dreamy eats.  But I stumbled on this one as something I thoroughly enjoyed this year.

Pancetta wrapped Scallops

Battello

Most Memorable Meal

It’s hard to say what makes a meal memorable. Is it the delicious dishes, the fresh ingredients, the agreeable atmosphere and service? Or is it the sheer thrill of caloric ingestion? There is one place that comes to mind that most definitely checks all of the boxes for my most memorable meal in 2014.

Brenda’s French Soul Food

Can’t wait to see what tasty things are to come in 2015!! Don’t forget to follow along on facebook, instagram, twitter, and yelp!

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1.2.15

drink2that: a TOAST to 2014

Cheers to another year, with its ups and downs, its ins and outs, its savories and sweets.

It may seem like I eat far more than I drink (there is a reason for this, it’s because I do), but somehow, this year I have managed to indulge in some sumptuous sips out and about, on the West Coast, and closer to home.

There was a decadent milkshake at Lori’s Diner and strong and spicy cocktails at Flea Street in California, while carefully curated wine at Wine Spot and La Nonna warmed. Fancy, sophisticated and colorful concoctions at Bea, Left Bank Burger, Union Bar and Kitchen, and Fig & Olive made dinners and dates come alive. Tart, tangy and fresh drinks at Marco and Pepe, GP’s and Hog Island Oyster Bar tasted like the seasons. Parties and events, intimate gatherings and home conversations were backdrops for tasty libations. Brunchy drinks at Park & Sixth Gastropub and exceptional coffee from Little Collins were perfect starts. It was a pretty delicious year—I’d drink to that!

It’s practically 2015! Thank you for support in following foodie ventures on facebook, instagram, twitter, and yelp! Let’s make the coming year even bigger, better and more flavorful!

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12.31.14

it's a CELEBRATION : Flea Street Cafe

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We decided it was my “birthday,” so we ate like it was a celebration and devoured the seasonal menu at Flea Street Café in Menlo Park, California.

Heirloom Tomato and Peach Salad

Surprisingly enough, the title of the dish didn’t include sexy burrata (burrata makes everything better…or is that bacon?). This summer seasonal salad was light, buoyant and delicious. The pecan pesto made vibrant with sea salt added a little heartiness to combat the sweet and tangy fruits and the silky creamy burrata.

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Corn and Mushroom Agnolotti

The flavors were delicate, but at the same time pungent enough to hold their own. The sweet corn played to the fresh eggy pasta and the creamy, chewy mushrooms. Even the cheese brought punch, livening up the mellow moments.

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Ricotta and Chive Gnocchi

The dense gnocchi dotted with green chives, swam in a mess of delicious chaos, served with a canopy of a thin crispy round of pancetta. Silky chanterelle mushrooms mellowed the tomato sofrito, which was more intense and tangy.

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McFarland House-Smoked Trout

Pretty seasoned waffle potato chips were the perfect base for a flaky forkful of the smoky pink trout and a balanced pinch of the potato salad. The smoky bacon echoed the smoke in the trout bringing out the meatiness in the fish, while the salad –soft potatoes, salty bacon, pleasantly bitter frisee, and horseradish crème fraiche vinaigrette— added a complexity of flavors.

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Lamb and Buckwheat Crepes

The layers of flavor and expertise were exhibited in this second course. The lamb was meaty and tender, meeting perfectly with the nuttiness of the doughy buckwheat crepes. The sweet roasted beets played to the sweetness of both the meat and the crepes, while the little crown of bitter frisee added complexity and recalled the earthiness of each element.

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Which Came First?

This chicken entrée sounded complex complete with a poached egg and pork belly, but in the end felt like two separate dishes. One was comprised of sweet corn puree, smooth lobster mushrooms, mealy fava beans, salty pork belly, and the almost runny poached egg. The other was the filled rounds of chicken with crispy skin. It was a mishmash of freshness that encapsulated the season, but could have united more seamlessly.

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Meyer Lemon Beignets

The tiny filled beignets were extremely tart, banishing all saccharine and greasy effects. The crunchy granules of sugar that coated their exterior and the crunchies beneath the cream were welcomed and necessary. The seasonal huckleberry compote added more tang and shifted the balance even further to an uncomfortable tartness.

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8.24.14

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