DIFFERENT and similar: Bäco Mercat

RER 8.27.14

Shadows from the candle danced on the menu at Bäco Mercat, while they scratched their heads. The music was almost jarring, and the place was almost too hip, and they were most definitely too hungry.

Choosing dishes for their meal was like choosing blindly. Different categories, different flavors, different influences, all led to a different experience, but in some ways more of the same.

RER 8.27.14

Squash blossoms were set ablaze by their little candle, warming the table and overhearing all of their conversation. Each organic package was bursting with eggplant, fresh, crunchy and creamy, fried and delicious.

RER 8.27.14

But the “original” bäco held their attention. Soft and buttery flatbread folded over to conceal stringy beef carnitas and tender pork, alive with salbitxada sauce and textures. Beautiful greens, sparkles of vegetation, and two meats to tide them over until the next bite.  

RER 8.27.14

Like slippery blistered green okra, warm with tomato and fenugreek. Herbs and heat.

RER 8.27.14

Or crusty, flaky pastry, crisp around decadent duck, crowned with a glossy pretty fried egg. A heavy mix of luxury and familiarity, with the spice of honey mustard and pebbles of pistachio interwoven.

RER 8.27.14

Or the silky and sumptuous slow roasted pork shoulder, drowned in tangy sweet pale kumquat tang. Hearty and homey, meaty and fatty, a balance completed by the fruits and the greens.

RER 8.27.14

But the decadence of the pistachio cheesecake, deep, salty and green, clashed with the warm and cold syrupy sweetness of the rustic baked semolina, even though they were both studded with the meaty gems of pistachios.

RER 8.27.14

Their dinner felt like an odd mix of heat and invention, tradition twisted to make something new yet familiar.

RER

8.27.14

RER 8.27.14

west coast snacks: SAVORIES

RER 8.28.14

We ate the sweets, but we could not forget to indulge in some savory deliciousness on our trip either! Salty, meaty yumminess coming at ya!

RER 8.25.14

RER 8.25.14

In-N-Out, Goletea

No trip to California is complete with In-N-Out Burger (I guess, that’s what they say). We got Double- Doubles, and two orders of french fries: one regular, one animal style (gotta try it). Delicious fast food at its finest, plus we were starving.

RER 8.28.14

Eggslut, Los Angeles

Thankfully, located on the edge of Grand Central Market in LA, Eggslut saved us right in time. We were starving, hot and pretty hangry, but delicious Eggslut sammies put most everything right. We ordered the Nita and Gaucho sandwiches (not the burger against my better judgment). Despite the heavy dose of bread from the Veneto roll, the insides were eggslutty and delicious. The pulled pork was soft and melted our mouths, melding with the smooth luxury of runny yolk. And the tart and tangy chimicurri and pickled red onions made the spice crusted seared wagyu steak much more delicious.

Eggslut guy: How was it?

Diner: Delicious, I love eggs!

Eggslut guy: You’ve come to the right place

Diner: Slutty eggs are even better!

Eggslut guy: Slutty anything is better!

RER 8.28.14

Wexler’s, Los Angeles

Holy corned beef! I love corned beef anything. Our Reuben sandwich from Wexler’s was piled high with thick, chucky slices of corned beef, some melty swiss, a thin layer of sauerkraut and an even thinner layer of Thousand Island dressing. The sandwich was incredible greasy— tolerable for the first half, but extremely difficult for the second. This was unfortunate as the heavy-duty sandwich was off to a great start.

RER

8.29.14

JAR 8.28.14

re.CAP : merry CHRISTMAS

Bella 12.24.13

Hope everyone had a super happy holiday! There is most definitely a reason why the holiday season is called “the most wonderful time of the year.” And that is because it really just is. Beginning with the preparations of Thanksgiving dinner running all the way through the New Year, is a magical time. There always seems to be more food, more love and more laughter. It is a time when we get to indulge in family moments and memories, while stuffing our face with holiday baked goods and Christmas cookies (stay tuned), fishes and meats, pastas and sides, and tasty treats galore. Really, what’s not wonderful about the holiday season (other than mall traffic and amplified caloric intake)?

 

RER 12.25.13

RER 12.24.13

AJR 12.25.13

RER 12.25.13

RER 12.24.13

Bella 12.24.13

RER 12.25.13

RER 12.24.13

RER 12.25.13

RER 12.24.13

RER 12.25.13

What makes your holidays merry and bright? Any food traditions that you look forward to all year round? Christmas cookies that you can’t wait to shove in your mouth? Tell me about it! Follow on facebook, twitter, and instagram to stay in the loop!

RER

12.26.13

RER 12.24.13

raise your GLASS: Wine Spot expands

RER 12.11.13

There is something almost magical about the newly expanded Wine Spot. Once you cross the threshold you are transported to somewhere else. You leave behind the feeling of a fast paced city, time slows down, and you even lose track of where you are.
  

RER 12.11.13

RER 12.11.13

RER 12.11.13

The first floor of the 200-year-old Greenwich Village row house, that used to be Tea Spot, is newly renovated and the new addition to Wine Spot. Upstairs is rustic—heavy and wooden, and modern—metallic and delicate at the same time. Intimate details and ornate flourishes on the lower level also bring you out of the now, allowing you to comfortably drink deeply your wine, taste fully your tapas and occasionally be enchanted by the sounds of rhythmic flamenco.

RER 12.11.13

RER 12.11.13

RER 12.11.13

The harmonious and eclectic aesthetic is translated to the beverage program and tasty food menu and created by owner and sommelier Gabriela Arzola. The cozy wine bar hosts a wide sampling of wines by the glass or the bottle at affordable prices. Arzola compares the study of wine to “traveling the world.” Her curated wine list allows patrons to visit France, Chile and Germany, amongst others, via wine glass. Arzola has crafted “Wine Flights,” which are tastings of different wines, creating veritable tours of Italy, Spain and California.

RER 12.11.13

RER 12.11.13

RER 12.11.13

Wine Spot holds onto its past as well, paying homage to the Tea Spot that once occupied the first floor. It mixes up cocktails, which can be prepared without alcohol, most featuring global teas that were available at the Tea Spot. 
 

RER 12.11.13

RER 12.11.13

RER 12.11.13

Arzola emphasizes that the food offered at Wine Spot “is as varied as the wine selection.” The menu tickles many different corners of the world with tapas-like dishes, like chicken satay, Spanish chorizo, Venezuelan beef arepas, and Gorgonzola filled meatballs, all produced with high quality ingredients. Large and small meat and cheese platters with optional wine pairings are also on the menu, creating a dynamic experience. 
 

RER 12.11.13

RER 12.11.13

Wine Spot is a place where you can forget, but will not be forgotten. The carefully orchestrated food and wine menus ensure there is something for everyone. For those who are not wine experts, the staff is extremely helpful in decoding wine, but there is also plenty for the connoisseurs to relish. Arzola explains that Wine Spot already has regulars and the “clientele likes to come and sit with a glass of wine and do work.” It has become a neighborhood spot, where old friends can chat over cheese and wine after work, or new friends can get to know each other sharing sliders. Wine Spot offers wine, but also a vacation across time and space, an escape.

RER 12.11.13

Wine Spot

127 Macdougal St

New York, NY 10012

Ph. (212) 505-1248

RER

12.17.13