a road trip: BOSTON break

JAR 8.14.16

School has already started, but our road trip and all of the tasty treats we tried remain on my mind and the tip of my tongue. After eating our way though part of Maine’s coast, we had to make the return to NJ. But, before we got back, we stopped in Boston to make the drive home from Bar Harbor, ME, easier and more delicious.

We got to Boston pretty late. We needed a bite even after yummy snacks on our way south, so thanks to yelp, we ended up at East Side Bar & Grill for some robust Italian Bolognese, over-stuffed rollatini, and a massive burger with too many French fries. It felt familiar and a nice break from all the fresh seafood we had been devouring (I think we indulged in a little too much lobster, if that’s a thing).

There was no shortage of places for some brunching in Boston, which made decisions even more difficult. With a little waffle from the hotel’s free breakfast, we were better able to pick a place, and ultimately waited a bit for a table. North Street Grille was packed for Sunday brunch. The sidewalk outside of the small eatery was crawling with patient, yet hungry people. Inside was just as busy. The menu has a mix of whimsy and classic, with a twist of over-the-top. We started with the Boston cream French toast sticks, which were super fried, super crunchy, and greasy, while filled with a sweet custard and accompanied by syrupy chocolate. The short rib Benedict was a special that day; it was hearty, meaty, and a classic with more potatoes than necessary. We also had the corned beef omelet, filled to brimming with salty corned beef and topped with an inordinate amount of cheese. It was good with fluffy eggs and potato hash to soak up the grease. In the end, it was loud as mimosas and brunchy drinks kept flowing for the other guests. We left with ringing ears and full bellies.

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The day was hot, but the amphibious Duck Tour gave us some cool views on the water and some great history lessons on land.

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RER 8.14.16

After wandering around town, we stumbled on a Roost Bistro on Newbury Street. Word on the street is “it has a great reputation” (We literally overheard this on the busy street.).  We arrived three minutes after the doors opened for Sunday dinner, or what we thought was dinner. Apparently we did not get the full dinner menu, missing specials and entrees that even after eating made our mouths water. Looking at the menu we were given in the empty restaurant, we decided on a burrata salad with thick balsamic, bright rounds of acidic tomatoes, and a heft heap of spicy arugula. After all of our seafood adventures, another salad was in order. This was a sweet and savory spinach salad, with juicy red strawberries and tangy, salty feta. For a main, I had the bison burger with sautéed onions, creamy brie, and green arugula—salty, greasy, not quite delicious enough to be so pretentious. The pork chop main was wholesome and classic, but skinny on the meat. Dessert was an odd mix of unexpected and almost thawed. The service was spotty and casual, the early hour perhaps, hopefully.

Thankfully, I spied a trio devouring melty ice cream out of the most whimsical, delicious-looking cones. With a little quick research, we were able to figure out where those lip-smacking cones. Of course, we made a plan to go to Emack and Bolio after dinner to get our paws on some ice cream. I decided to get some Cookie Monster ice cream—a mix of cookies n cream and chocolate chip cookie dough— in a krispie treat- adorned waffle cone. Both the cone and ice cream were out-of- control scrumptious, almost worth the seven bucks.

The ice cream was definitely a sweet ending to our short jaunt in Boston. Hope we can take a trip up again soon and taste all the sights.

RER

9.21.16

JAR 8.14.16

SPRING has sprung: Vai Restaurant

RER 4.17.16

We have been teased with sunshine and warm weather, and even oppressive intense heat. On those pleasant sunny Sundays, New York City streets are flooded with revelers, soaking up the sun and inhaling the first tastes of spring. Brunch culture flourishes as windows open to the rising temperatures, sun filters in spaces, and outdoor seating becomes a must.

With the change in the season comes a change in the brunch menu at Vai Restaurant. With the expertise of Chef/Owner Vincent Chirico, the small upper west side Mediterranean-inspired restaurant celebrates the season with the freshest ingredients that sing spring with euphonious and delicious melodies.

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RER 4.17.16

Chef Chirico presents fleshy bright delicate Muscat grapes, fragrant Thai basil, salty cured meat, and voluptuous burrata in a chilled appetizer, and satin soft fingerling potatoes piled with succulent and perfect charred octopus with just enough heat to compete with spring weather in a warm appetizer.

Textures play tag in a sumptuous hamachi crudo, decorated with silky avocado and grapefruit gems ready to burst at the touch, while deep green asparagus and velvet pink fat-lined meat nestle runny bright yellow egg yolk and wide briny flakes of cheese.  

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A shallow bowl of pearlescent white polenta supports a plump poached egg hidden beneath earth tones of ramps and mushrooms, laced with large chips of cheese.

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And dessert is just as smooth and fresh, light but decadent with an ombre of chocolate and just enough sweetness to end.

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Each of these offer a taste of spring amongst the other dishes featured on the menu. Not only is spring highlighted in the seasonal ingredients that are featured on the brunch menu and brunch prix fixe, but also the textures and aesthetic of the dishes bring to mind that whimsical playfulness and flirty feeling of the season.

RER

5.2016

RER 4.17.16

everything has its reason: the FINCH

RER 4.9.15

Stepping into The Finch is kind of like walking into your own kitchen, only it’s cooler. The lines are cleaner, the painted white brick is brighter—it’s just better.

And then passing the very open bar and the even more open kitchen, you step through a doorway, and you are transported to somewhere else. Wherever it is, it’s just as cool, just not as clean. This dining room has a formula, just as the front space does, it’s just not the same equation. Its exposed brick brings Brooklyn in and the classic furniture ties it to the front.

You sit down, and you want to explore. Your eyes wander, catching the mortar between the bricks, the different textures on display, the changing light coming in, and the many shades of green of plants. It’s intimate back here too, but it feels airy and open, almost outdoors.

The different spaces echo the streamlined menu and beautiful dishes; it’s apparent each is created, tested and perfected, but here too, there’s a formula. Everything’s there for a reason, even if you don’t want to believe it—like that unfinished back wall. Ingredients seem a little haphazard and unconnected at first, but you want to try everything, you want to see how it all works out.

And somehow, it does.

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Your appetizer is split gracefully into two large shallow dishes, one for each of you. Its arrangement is artful, crafted like sculpture, elements hidden and exposed. The sweet beets are roasted and red, soft and perfect, while the toasted traviso is bitter and smoky, cooled by creamy salted burrata. A savory brittle made with pine nuts crunches and plays to the sweet strengths of the beets and the mature savory moments of the traviso, while all unites with the mild and sensuous cheese. 

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Pork two ways makes for a whimsical dish, imaginative and sensible, hearty and delicate. A crunchy pork croquette, perfect and stringy, rests on a bed of soft cabbage and sunchokes studded with large pearls of mustard seeds. Every element melds to combat the delicious fattiness of the fried item, while a smooth apple puree marries pink centered slices of pork. There is no redundancy and yet a brilliant continuity is achieved.

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Your scallop entrée is a sexy surf and turf, bringing together sea and land seamlessly. The dish is a texture playground, where multiple feelings are playing tug of war. Stalemate. The soft, succulent scallops counter the rubbery, meaty snails that, too, have its own tenderness. There is heat and wonder written in slinky slender mushrooms and kernels of chewy Einkorn. Green things and grains bring in earthy tones and brilliant color, but you can swim in the richness and the decadence without getting lost…

Each bite and memory is meticulously constructed, precise and crafted, but also delectable and indulgent. You almost forget where you are and that your kitchen is nowhere as cool.

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4.9.15

RER 4.9.15

photo op: FIRE & OAK

RER 11.19.14

We went all out for our sister sister dinner at Fire & Oak in the Westin in Jersey City. Maybe we were celebrating, but mostly we were having a good time with each other. Dinner was almost secondary to our giggle fits and chatting, fueled by a giant bourbon smash and berry and elderflower martinis. The burrata was not as good as our conversation, and the hefty portions of short ribs and creamy crabmeat and shrimp pasta were dim compared to our smiles.  But the apple pie a la mode finale made the night complete, and filled bellies and hearts till bursting.

RER 11.19.14

RER 11.19.14

RER 11.19.14

Thanksgiving is almost here! Learn a little bit more about the pilgrims to impress your guests, or take advantage of Thanksgiving hacks and general tips to make the holiday a little easier. What are you doing for Thanksgiving? Making new traditions or sticking to old ones? Would love to hear from you!

RER

11.19.14

HOMESTYLED Italian: GP's Restaurant & Bar

RER 10.26.14

Sometimes I just want pasta. More specifically, pasta with pesto. There is something severely comforting about pesto pasta and shrimp. It brings me back to one of my favorite childhood dinners involving a Knorr packet of creamy pesto—a powder brought to life with olive oil and water, a little stirring and patience. Somehow, that packet is what I expect pesto to taste like, as inauthentic as it is.

This particular Sunday, that is what I was craving, but we decided on dining out. Lucky for us (yes, us, not just me—my yearnings can be dangerous), GP’s in Jersey City had the pasta dish to satiate my hankering.

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GP’s is a sweet little spot next to the even sweeter Hamilton Park. There’s a high ceilinged bar area in the front, some tables and a more intimate dining space, with dim lighting for atmosphere. The menu is typical of an Italian American spot, playing into the family-style feeling emanated by the tall red wall lined with photos.

There are antipasti like cheese plates and special crostini. That night a homemade burrata served with green olives, prosciutto, toasty croutons, peppers and a tart sweet balsamic reduction was highlighted. The burrata was not stringy and sticky at its center, there was no stretch and pull, but it was like soft ricotta, salt-less and rustic.

 

Small plates like smoked salmon outfitted with accoutrements and Gorgonzola polenta, mix familiarity with freshness.  The meatballs drenched in a homey tomato sauce and heavily dusted with grated Parmesan, are the perfect example. A bit of home out, meaty but perhaps over-loved.

After a range of salads, a standard pasta selection—maccheroni Bolognese, spaghetti pomodoro, orecchiette with broccoli rabe, etc. The list finishes with homemade gnocchi with pesto and shrimp.

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Exactly what I came for. The gnocchi were plump pillows, doughy, with a floury aftertaste. They were swimming in a thick and creamy pesto sauce, sweetened by the succulence of the scant shrimp. The first few bites were all the things that I wanted, but it was thick on the tongue, heavy and slow going.

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Of the classics, the chicken parmigiana was intriguing in the most traditional of ways. We asked for pesto sauce on the homemade spaghetti in efforts to mimic a favorite. The portion was just enough, a healthy balance of overworked protein and delicate and chewy pasta.

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And the classics continued with dessert, a flourless chocolate cake and cheesecake, to name a few, but the seasonal came into play as well. A dense cheesecake laden with a thick layer of sweet fig was paired with a tangy fruit sauce, a little citrus to cut the intense sweet.

GP’s converges traditional with the now in an effort to create something timeless and timely. There is quality with some slippage but most importantly, feelings of familiarity, like a place where grandma could very well be stirring the sauce and your great friend is pouring your drink.

RER

10.26.14